Even One Out
by TheDarkRainbow
Summary: They're a group of four, but somehow they always forget Touya. So it's no surprise when Touko, Bianca and Cheren finally get their Pokemon for their trainer journeys and Touya doesn't. Perhaps that green haired fellow will pay him attention. Eventual NXTouya.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I do not own any of these characters. That is probably a good thing.**

**Chapter 1: Forgotten… again.**

On the twenty fourth of December, late in the night, Professor Juniper walked out of her lab carrying a small, rectangular box. This box contained three Pokémon, which would be given to the children in town that had recently all turned at least fifteen. The timing of the Pokémon was intentional – she wanted to give the helpful and cheerful teens a gift for Christmas, to thank them for the work they volunteered to do around the lab. Especially Touya…

Professor Juniper smiled, remembering the gentle way he had fed and put to sleep a baby Emolga just that evening. He would make a good trainer, even if he was a bit on the impulsive side. Still, he seemed to be particularly in tune with Pokémon, perhaps because of his habit of treating each one like it was an equal. He didn't talk down to the Pokémon, instead including them in his conversations with his friends and the Professor. She liked that about Touya.

Shaking her head to snap out of her reverie, Professor Juniper knocked on the front door to Touya's house. A rather confused looking Mrs. Grey answered the door, her expression changing to one of delight as she recognized her longtime friend.

"Why, hello, Professor Juniper! To what do I have the honor of a visit from such a busy woman?"

"Actually, I came to deliver a gift for Touya and his friends. As you know, they are all at least fifteen, meaning they will want to go on their Trainer journeys sometime soon." Mrs. Grey nodded. "Of course," She said. "I imagine poor Cheren's going out of his mind with impatience. But… what does that have to do with anything?"

Numeva Town's Pokémon professor held out the box she had been carrying for her longtime friend to examine. "This box has the Pokémon inside it that have grown up enough over the last year to embark on their own journey, once they have a trainer," Professor Juniper explained. "With your permission, I would like to leave them here as a gift for the children. They can choose who gets which Pokémon between themselves when they wake up, and can leave whenever they'd like for their journey, with their parent's permission, of course."

Mrs. Grey nodded. "Of course you have my permission! I'm sure the kids will love it!"

"Really? Thank you so much!"

Mrs. Grey nodded. "Of course," she smiled. "Just be ready to give out some Pokédexes tomorrow."

* * *

Touya awoke early the next day, far too early for anyone else to be up. Touya smiled. Nobody else was ever awake as early as he was, but then, no one else in their little town woke up this early to go running like he did. Slipping on his shoes, he slipped out of the bedroom that he and Touko, his twin sister, shared. As he walked out of the house, a gift that had definitely not been there last night rested on the kitchen counter, away from the presents that "Santa" had brought. He stopped to read the label. _From Juniper_, he read, smiling. There was only one gift the professor might've left a couple of sixteen year old children. He would look forward to opening it later. For now, he wanted to go running. He snuck out the door, doing his best to avoid waking his mom or his sister.

Several hours later, having run all over the paths that crisscrossed the woods to the east of Numeva, he turned for home, jogging at a decent pace.

One would've figured that that would've kept him from running into the other boy, but he somehow managed to crash right into him without seeing him coming. Somehow, though, the normally graceful Touya managed to do it anyways.

"Huh?" Touya said, surprised that anyone else was up as early as he was on Christmas morning. He looked up, getting a good look at the other boy. He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, but was rather tall to be that young. Still, something told Touya that he was about his age.

That wasn't the main thing he noticed, though. The main thing he noticed was the other boy's _hair_. It was a forest green, running halfway down his back, as though it had not been cut once in his whole life.

Oh well. At least now he knew how he hadn't seen him coming.

"Could you please get off me now?" Touya jumped, realizing he was indeed sprawled over the other teen. Blushing, he jumped to his feet. "Sorry," he squeaked, embarrassed.

The other boy smiled. "It's quite alright," he said. "I'm N," he said, extending his hand. Touya just stared at it. "N?" He asked. "Just N?"

"Yes. N is my name," the other boy said, keeping his hand extended. "Are you going to shake my hand or not?" N asked, his voice strangely devoid of sarcasm or hostility. Instead he sounded almost like Professor Juniper when she was observing the patterns of interactions between two Pokémon – curious as to what they would do.

Touya suddenly felt uncomfortable around this N person. Still, he shook the boy's hand, to be polite. "Touya, " he said after a minute.

"Touya," N murmured. "That name… I've heard it somewhere…"

Touya was confused. "People talk about me?" He asked.

N shook his head. "Not people… Pokémon."

"Pokémon?" Touya asked, trying to be respectful. "I didn't know any spoke English."

"They don't."

"Then how can you hear them?"

N looked over at him, a flash of anger appearing in his eyes briefly. "They would speak to you too, if only you would listen. Now if you'll excuse me, I am afraid I am expected somewhere." And with that, he was gone.

Touya watched the way he went for a moment, then remembered that he still had to get home. He started jogging again, but had to stop and walk because the soles had finally almost worn through.

* * *

At last he arrived at his home. Inside, he found Touko, Cheren, and Bianca all in the living room with their new Pokémon. Bianca was snuggling on the couch with Tepig, Touko was getting food for her Oshawott, and Cheren seemed to be only staring at his Snivy, not doing anything in particular.

"Hey guys!" Touya exclaimed as he walked in the room. All eyes were on him immediately.

"Uh, hey Touya." Bianca said, sounding a bit guilty. Touya was confused by this, and said as much. "Why the long face, Bianca? You've got a Pokémon!"

"Eh… well… yeah…"

"Then cheer up! You can finally leave on your journey!" Touya exclaimed. "Hey, speaking of which sis, where's the other Pokémon?" His attention firmly focused on Touko, she shifted uncomfortably and rubbed her arm. "Touya… there isn't a fourth one."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Hence the reason people still like Pokémon.**

**A/N: I didn't mention this in the previous chapter, but be sure to pay close attention to everything. If you don't, you could miss something important.**

**Chapter 2: Touya – Pokénurse extraordinaire**

"Touya… there isn't a fourth one." Touko tensed, waiting for her brother's reaction. Truth be told, she had been so excited that she had failed to notice that Touya had been forgotten when Cheren, Bianca and herself had chosen their Pokémon earlier. It hadn't been until Touya had asked about his own that she realized that there weren't enough Pokémon for everyone to receive one. Now the problem was staring them in the face, or more particularly, Touya. She was nervous about the way her normally sensitive brother would react.

An expression of confusion crossed his face for a moment before being replaced by anger for a split second before he smiled. "That's okay!" He said, sounding like he most certainly meant it. "I'm sure Professor Juniper just made a mistake and forgot to put the last Pokémon in. I'll bet if I swing by her lab she'll have it waiting for me!"

Touko breathed a sigh of relief that her brother hadn't simply broken down on the spot. He had always been eager to start their journeys, long before any of the others had, though Cheren had later started planning his with greater enthusiasm then Touya. Still, Touya had looked forward to this day for a long time, and getting left out now had to be a huge disappointment.

"Well, I'd better get going if I want to catch the Professor before she gets too caught up in her work!" Touya exclaimed, bolting out the door. Touko might've imagined it, but she could've sworn she saw a tear roll down her brother's cheek as he left.

"Poor Touya…" she murmured. "He's been waiting too long for today. I hope this works out for him."

* * *

Touya had to stop for a moment when he got outside to collect his emotions. It always took a lot out of him when he faked an emotion, and pretending to be optimistic about a worst case scenario was definitely the hardest when you wanted to just sit down and cry. Still, he reminded himself that it wasn't hopeless. Professor Juniper just made a mistake, right? All he had to do was stop by, and she'd have his Pokémon waiting.

Composing himself, Touya walked off towards the Professor's lab. He had to restrain himself from running, as the soles of his shoes were nearly worn through as it was.

* * *

"I'm sorry Touya, there isn't anyone left," the Professor explained, getting almost as teary as Touya had been earlier. "I forgot Bianca just turned fifteen. I didn't think about her, and she must've taken your Pokémon."

Touya's hopes fell. So even the Professor didn't have a solution. This was final; he couldn't start his Trainer journey. Unwilling to allow the Professor see him breakdown, he turned and walked out the door as quickly as he could.

He didn't have a destination in mind, not really, so he just started walking wherever his feet would take him. He hurt, badly. Why was he always the one left out? Always, when the four of them did something, he ended up getting left behind, or unable to participate. He remembered the time they went to see the art gallery in Castellia city, and he had gotten ditched when he stopped to examine the painting of a massive white dragon that seemed to call out to him. Another time, when they went to see the musical in Nimbasa city, he had paid for three of the tickets out of his own wallet. Without sparing Touya a second thought, Touko, Bianca, and Cheren had taken the tickets and walked inside, not realizing that not only had they left Touya behind again, but he lacked enough money to buy the fourth ticket.

_Who would've thought that it was possible to be the even one out?_ Touya though, kicking angrily at the gravel on the path. Somehow, it was working that way. Where normally a group of four was usually also split into two pairs when necessary, somehow Touya was left without a partner when they couldn't all participate. The others didn't notice it, though, and he always put on this disgustingly fake friendly attitude around them, because even if they weren't around often, they were the only companions he had and didn't want to drive them away.

He stopped when he realized where he'd stormed off to. He was standing at the mouth to a small cave, somewhere he didn't think anyone else knew about. Then again, no one else was ignored so often as to come out here to have something to do. He'd named the tiny cave Numeva Caverns, even though he wasn't even sure if it was big enough to be a cave, let alone a cavern.

He shrugged, stepping inside. It was nice and cool inside the cave, as opposed to the summer heat outside. Unova seasons changed each month, which meant Christmas rarely occurred in the winter like it did in other regions, so Touya was grateful that he had somewhere cool to spend Christmas every year. The cave was well lit, allowing Touya to see where he was going. He knew he shouldn't be here – wild Pokémon were always a danger outside of towns and cities – but he didn't really care. He liked the quiet of the place, as opposed to the constant noises in Numeva town.

The quiet didn't last long, as a cry interrupted his sulking within minutes. Recognizing it as the cry of a Pokémon, he sprang up to investigate. That Pokémon sounded injured, and there was no way he was going to let it suffer.

Rounding one of exactly two corners in the cave, he saw a Roggenrola being mercilessly attacked by an angered Herdier. Normally the Roggenrola should've had the advantage, but if the normal type Pokémon was already in the second stage of evolution, that meant it had a significant level advantage. Touya knew he had to do something, or the Roggenrola might become seriously injured. Whistling, he shouted at the Herdier, making as much noise as possible to get its attention. He didn't stop to think about how foolish the move was until the Herdier turned its attention to him and growled. Touya gulped, realizing that this might not have been the brightest solution to the problem. He decided it was definitely not the brightest when the Herdier ran straight at him.

Touya ran.

Running as fast as he could, with the Herdier close behind, Touya ran out of the cave – and straight into N again.

_He really needs to cut his hair – it's like camouflage._ Touya thought to himself, picking himself up.

"So, we meet again," N said.

"You might want to run," Touya shot back, indicating the Herdier that was barreling their way.

"No, I'll take care of this," N said, stepping towards the Herdier and barking.

Seriously, barking. Just like a Herdier. Even stranger, the Herdier actually stopped and walked off, tail between its legs.

"Wha – what do you just do?" Touya asked.

"I told it that it shouldn't be attacking anyone." N said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am expected somewhere." He added, walking off once again. Touya stared after him until he remembered: the Roggenrola!

Fortunately, he found it right where he'd left it, but only because it was too weak to move. Cuts and scrapes covered its body. Touya kneeled down next to it, trying to get a good look at the injuries. He'd had to help heal some of the Pokémon in Juniper's lab, so he knew how to do this. Fortunately, he had a small stash of potions that he'd found lying around and kept specifically for his Trainer journey. It was only through sheer luck that he had his bag with him when he found the Roggenrola. Pulling out a potion, he carefully applied the spray medicine to the Pokémon's wounds, which healed in seconds where the spray was applied.

In no time at all, the Roggenrola was fully healed. It looked up at Touya, reminding him of an excited Lillipup. It seemed to be trying to thank Touya for helping it. Touya smiled, turning to leave. His mother was probably worrying about his whereabouts right now.

When he left the cave, he got the strange feeling someone was following him. Sure enough, when he looked back, he saw the Roggenrola. "Hey," he said, squatting down to talk to it. "Don't you have parents to get back to?"

The Roggenrola cried sadly. "No? Does that mean you want to come with me?" The Roggenrola chirped eagerly. "Really? I'd love to have you around!" Touya exclaimed. Perhaps he'd get the Trainer journey after all.

"Well then, come on Roggs!" Roggs. Touya liked the way it sounded. He decided there and then that that was what he'd call his new companion. Together they walked towards the Juniper lab, eager to get started on their adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love the support I'm feeling!**

**Chapter 3: A scar can be healed**

* * *

Touya had to fight the urge to run to the professor's house. He had a Pokémon! Perhaps he had been forgotten again, but at least this time he could figure out a way around it. Now he just had to get registered with Professor Juniper and he'd be all set to go.

He stopped by his house on the way to the lab to say goodbye to his mother, who hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. "My babies are all grown up," she cried.

Touya blushed, wriggling out of her grasp. "I'll be alright mom, I have Roggs to look after me," he said, smiling at his Roggenrola in his arms, who chirped excitedly.

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Of course," she said. "Take good care of Touya for me," she told the Pokémon, who chirped his affirmative. She smiled.

"Be sure to come back and visit sometime. Oh, and before I forget, take this," she added, offering Touya a Town Map.

Touya nodded. "Thanks mom," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek before rushing out the door.

* * *

"Touya… you found a Pokemon." Stated Professor Juniper as soon as she saw him.

Touya grinned from ear to ear. "Yup!" he said excitedly, while Roggs chirped his agreement.

"Well… I know technically you aren't supposed to take a Roggenrola as a starter Pokémon, but in this case I'll make an exception. Fortunately for you, I already registered you in the league, so all you need now is the Pokédex," she said, handing him his trainer card. Both Touya and Roggs had to stop and stare at it for a few moments for it to sink in with them. They were trainer and Pokémon! Roggs let out a long cry that sounded somewhat like "Yes!"

Touya laughed, rubbing the top of his friend's head before accepting a Pokédex from the Professor. "You already know most of what you need to know from your frequent travels with me, so I won't keep you. Just be safe, complete the Pokédex, and most importantly, have fun!" She said.

Touya beamed. "Thanks, Professor!" He shouted as he ran out, slowing when he realized he could still feel the ground too easily through his worn soles. He walked through town, saying his goodbyes as he went, and was about to step out towards Route 1 when a familiar voice shouted "Wait!"

He turned around to see Professor Juniper running towards him. She stopped, out of breath, and handed him five pokéballs and a new pair of running shoes. "Professor, this is too much, I really can't take all of these gifts."

"Nonsense. You're always so helpful around the lab. This is my way of saying thank you." She replied between gasps. "Well, that's everything," she added. "Have a safe trip."

Roggs cried out in excitement. "Don't worry, Professor, we'll be fine!" Touya said in agreement.

* * *

They had been walking north on Route 1 towards Accumula town for about half an hour, taking on the occasional Patrat that attacked them when a Lillipup started barking at them. Touya jumped a little at the sudden noise, but Roggs fared much worse. The poor Pokémon, who had been walking at Touya's side for some time, froze and starting trembling, not doing anything. Touya noticed this at once, and bent down to try to comfort his new friend.

"Hey, it's just a Lillipup," he said calmingly. "It's not gonna hurt you," he continued, hugging Roggs close to him. He suddenly remembered the Herdier that had been brutally attacking Roggs when they first met. Somehow, Touya knew that wasn't the only time that Roggs had suffered at the hands of the dog Pokémon.

Knowing that Roggs was probably permanently scarred by the Lillipup and Herdier attacks presented Touya with a problem. Roggs would lock up anytime they met a Lillipup or any of its evolutions. And since they were so common, it was unlikely that Roggs and him would be able to make it far on their journey unless they faced this fear now.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. Scooping up Roggs in his arms, he walked towards the source of the barking. Roggs squirmed and tried to get away, but Touya held him close, whispering reassurances in his ear as he walked.

He hadn't gone more than thirty feet when the Lillipup barreled out at them, behaving exactly like an excited puppy. It stopped in front of Touya, wagging its tail excitedly and barking up at him. Shielding Roggs with his arms, he kneeled down to talk to it. "How ya doing, huh? Excited that you've got someone new around?" Another energetic bark. "Well, how about that! This is Roggs," he said, turning his friend around so he could get a look at the new Pokémon.

The Lillipup reacted exactly as he had hoped. Barking excitedly, it started towards Roggs before spriting away a little, trying to institute a game of chase. When Roggs didn't move from Touya's arms, it trotted over to him, sniffing at Roggs before licking it's face. Roggs cried out with alarm, and the Lillipup shied away from them when Touya spoke up again.

"It's okay; he's just a little shy." Reassured by this, the Lillipup resumed her (Touya had used his Pokédex to check) attempts to draw Roggs out of his metaphorical shell without damaging his literal one. Eventually, Roggs started to loosen up once he realized that she meant no harm, and even started to play with her a little before Touya realized that they'd have to get moving if they wanted to get to Accumula town before dinnertime.

"Well girl, it's been fun but we need to go," Touya explained, picking Roggs back up and starting to walk away. The Lillipup followed, barking to get his attention. There was a question in her eyes that Touya doubted anyone else could've read: _Take me with you?_

Touya smiled. "Of course you can come with us!" The Lillipup barked happily, running along to catch up with the trainer and her new friend while Touya tried to come up with a name for their new companion. "How about Lily?" He wondered aloud, not realizing he had spoken until the Lillipup barked her agreement.

"Okay then, let's go Lily!" He exclaimed, running off towards Accumula with Roggs in his arms and Lily by his side.

* * *

As it would happen, they reached Accumula at around four in the afternoon. Touya was grateful for that, as he had wanted to take a look around the city before settling in for the night.

When he reached the park, he ran into Cheren and Touko. "Touya!" Touko exclaimed, embracing her brother. "We thought you weren't coming!"

"I almost wasn't," he said. "But then this little guy came along and asked to join me," he said, affectionately nuzzling Roggs. Not one to be left out, Lily barked up at him, and he bent down to give her a firm belly rub. "And Lily here is helping Roggs get over his fear of dog Pokémon," he added.

Cheren nodded. "Creating a team designed to balance each other's weaknesses – good thinking, Touya."

Touya glared at him. "They are not 'balancing each other's weaknesses,'" he said. "Lily is being a good friend to Roggs."

"Whatever," Cheren rolled his eyes. "Come on. There's some sort of speech being made on the other side of the park."

The "some kind of speech", as it turned out, looked more like a renaissance fair then a public speech. Flags bearing a medieval insignia with the letter P in front stood to either side, while a group of people dressed in what looked like armor but Touko said was probably just plastic stood in a row stretching to both flags. In front, another of the knights stood, but his armor was different. It was more elaborate, with a more complicated variant of the insignia on the front, and black and blue shoulder pads. The helmet was more complicated as well. Rather than the simple hood that the rest of the knights used, he wore a full on helmet with a retractable faceplate. The faceplate, currently in use, was the simplest part of the armor, being little more than a face shape piece of metal ("Plastic!") with eyeholes. As Touya observed this, he lifted the faceplate and blew a set of rising notes from his bugle. "Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention this was please!" he said, heedless of the fact that all attention was already on him. "May I present to you Ghetsis, First Sage of Team Plasma!"

At this, the knights parted, allowing a man who wore an awful robe that resembled more of a tent to come forward. After a moment of silence, he began to speak.

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." At this, murmurs swept through the gathered crowds.

"Pokémon liberation? "

"What?"

_What does he mean, liberation?_ Touya wondered, legitimately interested in what this tent wearing stranger had to say.

Ignoring the whispers, Ghetsis began to pace. "I am sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However… is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans… only assume that this is the truth? Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers… they get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work… Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth to what I am saying?"

Roggs suddenly squirmed in Touya's arms, as if trying to get out and attack something. Likewise, Lily barked at Ghetsis before Touya reminded her to be respectful of the odd stranger.

Meanwhile, the crowd had started whispering again.

"Yikes!"

"I don't know…"

"No way!"

Once again ignoring the crowd, Ghetsis continued his speech while pacing back and forth. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?"

"What could it be?"

"Liberation?"

Finally, Ghetsis reacted to something someone had said. Smiling, he continued. "That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals."

Ghetsis stopped his pacing, moving into the end of his speech. "Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon… and the correct way to proceed!" He turned, walking back into his guard of knights while the bugler from earlier moved back up to speak one more time to the audience. "Team Plasma sincerely appreciates your attention. If you would like to join up with Team Plasma and the Pokémon Liberation Front, there will be some members that will remain her for the remainder of the day to answer your questions." With that, the knights picked up their flags and departed in military formation, guarding Ghetsis in the center.

The townsfolk began to discuss what they'd heard at one. "About that speech… what do you think we should do?"

"Liberate Pokémon? That's not even possible!"

"But are Pokémon truly happy with us?"

Touya listened to the conversations for a bit, before a flash of forest green caught his eye. Sure enough, N was walking towards them, a Purrloin perched on his shoulder.

"Your Pokémon… just now, it was saying…" N said, sounding like he didn't quite believe whatever he thought Lily had said.

"Hmm?" Touya asked.

"What's this about Pokémon talking? That's an odd thing to say." Cheren asked with an air that suggested he outright thought N was insane.

N shot him the same irritated glare he had shot Touya just that morning. "Yes, they're talking. You could hear them if you would only listen… how sad for you. My name is N," he said, assumedly for the benefit of Touko and Cheren.

"My name is Touko, and these two are Cheren and Touya!" Touko cut in eagerly, shooting Cheren a look that said that if he so much as rolled his eyes at N's weird ideas that she would cut off his head herself.

N nodded. "I've already met Touya."

"We were asked to complete the Pokédex, and we've just left on our journey." Cheren said, cutting Touko off. "My main goal is to become the Champion, though." He added with an air of superiority.

N ignored his last comment. "The Pokédex, eh? So… you're going to confine many, many Pokémon in Pokéballs for that, then."

Touya looked down at his Pokémon, only just then realizing that he had yet to put either of them in a Pokéball. "No, not really." He said. "How can I enjoy their company if I keep them in their Pokéballs?" He asked.

N smiled. "Hmm. Such an interesting philosophy. I'm a Trainer too, and I can't help but wonder if they would be happier that way."

Touya shrugged. "I don't know, but I want to find out."

N smiled again, but it felt different this time. _Warmer_, Touya realized.

"Well, Touya, is it? Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again! Go, Purrloin!" He cried.

Touya nodded. "If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!"

**A/N: I really hate Cheren. I feel like he's too stuck up and arrogant, and that kinda irritates me. That's why he's so rude in this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Nintendo owns this stuff for a reason. So that I don't f*ck it up.**

**A/N: Well, it looks like I've been hit by the great Farla! If you want to know what she's said, check the reviews. If you already know what she's said, I can only say this: all will be explained in due time, my Rainbows.**

**Chapter 4: Dream**

* * *

"Let's go, Roggs! Use Tackle!" Touya shouted, directing his precious friend into battle against N's Purrloin.

"Purrloin, use Growl," N said, watching as Purrloin carried out his command, causing Roggs to hesitate for a split second before plowing into Purrloin at reduced power.

"Now, Scratch attack!" N shouted, watching as Purrloin raised her claws in preparation for the attack.

"Roggs, protect yourself with Harden!" Roggs covered himself in a silvery glow that faded to allow the Scratch to bounce off harmlessly.

N smiled at the move. "Excellent thinking, Touya!" he called across the battlefield. "But this battle's only getting started. Purrloin, try another scratch attack!"

"Roggs, intercept the attack with Headbutt!"

The two Pokémon flew at each other, each intent on hitting the other before they could get hit. When they collided, they flew apart with such force that Touya knew that Roggs Headbutt attack had landed.

"Roggs, use Sand-Attack!" called Touya through the dust that obscured the battle from his view. Purrloin's anguished cry a second later told him the attack had hit home, dropping Purrloin's accuracy significantly.

"Purrloin, use Growl!" N called out to his Pokemon.

"Roggs, don't give them the chance! Follow up with another Headbutt!" The dust was getting worse, and it was all Touya could do to make out the silhouettes of the Pokémon barely ten feet in front of him.

"Purr!" came the cry that told Touya that not only had the attack landed, but had also knocked out N's Purrloin.

"Purrloin, return!" called N, and Touya heard the distinctive sound of a Pokéball returning a Pokémon to its Trainer. The dust finally settled, and Touya saw N walking towards him. "Hey," he said. "Good job. You sure gave Purrloin a run for her money. Oh, speaking of which," he added, pulling out a sum of Pokédollars. "You won."

Touya stared at the money. "I can't take this," he said.

"What? Of course you can. You won." N replied, pressing the cash into Touya's hand.

"No, I can't take this much from you, it's too much."

"You won, right? That means I have to pay up. League rules," N said. "Besides, it's really not that much for me. I have plenty if I need it."

Touya reluctantly accepted the bills. "All right," he said. "But I'm coming with you to heal Purrloin."

N looked at him with amusement on his face. "Well," he said. "I guess I could use the company. Besides, your Roggenrola took some bad hits during the fight. You should probably heal him as well."

Touya looked down at Roggs, seeing for the first time the deep scrape Roggs had suffered at the claws of his opponent. "Yeah, you're probably right about that. Let's get going," he said, scooping up the Rock type Pokémon in his arms and walking towards the Pokémon Center with N. Lily followed along behind faithfully, tail wagging with excitement at the idea of spending time with a new person.

* * *

N proved to be surprisingly easy to talk to as they waited in line to heal their Pokémon at the Center. As it turned out, N could indeed understand Pokémon and speak to them in their language, a skill that he often practiced because he felt the need to be respectful. He proved this after conversing with the tired Roggs in the same series of high pitched chirps and cries, mimicking them almost perfectly. When he was done, he recited everything about how Touya and Roggs had met Lily from Roggs' perspective perfectly, including even the tiniest of details.

Touya decided then and there that this guy was worth sticking around for. Anyone who reach that level of understanding with _Pokémon_ was definitely worth getting to know. And hey, he might even actually pay attention to Touya, unlike Touko and her friends.

"So, about your friends," N began, snapping Touya out of his thoughts. "Why are you friends with, ah, Cheren, was it?"

Touya shrugged. "I'm not, really."

"Why not?"

"Because he's an asshole," Touya shot back.

"Then why spend so much time with him?"

"He's really more my sister's friend, so I do have to spend time with him unbearably often."

"Sister?" N cocked his head to one side in curiosity. "You didn't mention you had a sister. Who is she?"

Touya glanced away, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with N's rapid fire questioning. "Touko," he mumbled. "But, enough about me, where are you from?"

Now it was N's turn to feel uncomfortable. "I… grew up in the forest, kinda away from all the major cities."

"Really? So it was just you and your family living out in a little house in the forest? I've always wondered, what's it like to grow up like that?"

"It's wonderful. Every day I would go out and play with the Pokémon in the forest. They were a family to me. Every day I would wake up to the sound of the chirping Pidoves, and eat breakfast with the Patrats. I got to play games with the Zorua, which is a lot more confusing than it looks, and at night I would lay with the Deerling and the Sawsbuck and stargaze. It was wonderful there," N said, looking incredibly homesick and like he might be about to cry.

"N… I'm sorry I asked. I didn't realize – "

"No," N cut him off. "It's not your fault. I just can't help but worry about my friends. I think about all the Trainers going out there, and I – "

"Hello, and welcome to our Pokémon Center! Please, allow us to heal your Pokémon to full health!" the Nurse Joy behind the counter called to them eagerly, causing Touya and N to realize that they were next in line.

"Oh, uh, here," N said, offering the Nurse Purrloin's Pokéball.

"Thank you, sweetie!" Nurse Joy said, causing N to blush a little. "And you," she said, turning her attention to Touya. "You'll need to put your Pokémon in its Pokéball before we can heal it."

"Oh," Touya said, looking down at Roggs. "He, uh, doesn't have one," Touya admitted sheepishly.

N looked over at Touya in shock. "You mean you didn't catch it?" he asked.

Touya shook his head. "He wanted to come with me after we saved it from that Herdier."

Confusion flashed across N's face. "What Herd – oh," he said with understanding. "So I led it to want to join you?"

Touya nodded before Nurse Joy cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said. "We do have Pokéballs for Pokémon who need them. Would you like to use one?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Touya said, more preoccupied with the look of guilt on N's face. "What?"

N looked down at the shorter boy. "Nothing," he said, smiling. He nodded towards Nurse Joy, who held out the empty Pokéball for Touya. A Luxury Ball, he noted, surprised that the Center would just give out such an expensive ball. N, however, nodded approvingly.

"That's good of them," he said. "They gave you a good ball to keep Roggs in."

"That's right! Before I forget, do you have any other Pokémon who need one?"

"Umm… yeah…" Touya said, afraid of taking advantage of the Center's hospitality, but at the same time wanting to give all his Pokémon the best he could. It turned out to not be an issue, and they got their Pokémon healed and left.

* * *

Touya walked to edge of town with N, Roggs in his arms and Lily at his side like always. They stopped and sat down on a nearby bench, letting their respective Pokémon roam freely while they talked.

"So Touya," N started. "What is your goal on your Trainer journey?"

Touya shrugged. "See the world and make new friends, I guess. I've never really thought about that, though. I mean, everyone's telling me to go fill the Pokédex and become the Champion, but I don't really know if I want to do that. I just… I don't want to try to force my Pokémon to do something they don't want to. And given Roggs' past, I don't think he's really fond of the idea of battling a whole lot. So I don't want to force him to fight. Then there's the whole filling the Pokédex thing. If I did that, most of the Pokémon I caught would probably never even get to see me. I don't want to do that. I want the Pokémon I catch to be outside with me all the time. It just feels wrong to trap them all the time. Hell, you saw that at the Center. I hadn't even put Roggs and Lily in Pokéballs until I had no choice."

N nodded. "That's a good way of thinking. You're putting your Pokémon's' interests first, rather than you own. Not many Trainers do that anymore. But I do want to tell you something," he said, watching poor Roggs struggle furiously to keep up with Lily's speed. "Roggs enjoys the idea of battling. He told me so in our battle earlier. He loves the thrill of even combat. I have little doubt that if you really wanted to become the Champion, he would follow you without question. What he doesn't like is the strong picking on the weak, like he's been experiencing all his life. Keep that in mind. Oh, and Touya?"

"Hmm?"

"Keep thinking about your goal. That's what's going to be driving you for at least the next few months. Now, I'm afraid I must go. Perhaps we'll meet again soon." With that, he disappeared for third time that day.

_That is starting to get really annoying,_ Touya thought, watching as Roggs finally caught up with Lily, bringing her to the ground with a well timed tackle.

"Yo, Touya!"

Bianca ran up to him, panting. Touya smiled and nodded his greetings. He'd always had a soft spot for Bianca, because of the way she always went out of her way to try to make it up to Touya when he got left out. It wasn't what he wanted, as he'd rather just be included in the first place, but neither Touko or Cheren really seemed to care much when Touya was left out. No, that wasn't quite right. They did care, but all they ever did was apologize and promise to include him next time. They didn't try to make it up to him like Bianca. He appreciated how much Bianca cared even more as a result, treasuring the times that the two would spend alone on occasion. Several times, Touya had comtemplated showing her Numeva Caverns, but something always held him back. He liked spending time alone with Bianca, but for some reason he didn't like the idea of being in a secluded area with his friend.

"Hey, I heard about the speech by those Team Plasma freaks." Bianca said cheerfully. She did everything like that. Touya sometimes wondered if it wasn't sometimes faked. "Pokémon Liberation? What a dumb idea, don't you agree?"

Touya started at the mentioning of the topic. He hadn't really thought about it a whole lot, and wasn't really sure where he stood on the matter. "Umm… yeah, I guess so," he said, to satisfy Bianca.

"Anyways, I've heard Cheren and Touko have already gotten on the way to Striaton City. I guess it's too late to catch up to them, huh?"

Touya looked up at the sky. Sure enough, it was close to nightfall, which meant it would soon be too dark to travel safely. "You're right," he said. "Why don't we go get rooms at the Center? I'll pay," he offered. Bianca shook her head.

"No way, silly! You're always paying for us, it's my turn to help you out! Come on!"

* * *

That night, Touya sat on the edge of his bed, deep in thought. The idea of Pokémon Liberation had certainly proved controversial in the lobby. It seemed that no one could convince anyone else of their perspective's correctness, regardless of how well they argued. Touya had listened to the arguments for about an hour, hearing out both sides of the discussion, though he doubted it could be called such anymore. Still, both sides had some incredible arguments. If anything, he was even more confused on where he stood.

A sudden chirp in his ear brought him back to earth. "Huh. So what do you think, Roggs?"

Roggs chirped in confusion. Touya smiled. "That's right, I forgot. You're a rock type, not a psychic. I was asking about Pokémon Liberation. Do you really think it would be better if we were separated? Just you and me?"

Roggs cried out in alarm, throwing himself against his Trainer. Touya fell back onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his friend. "Yeah, I don't like the though either. But I wonder if it would be better for the world on the whole?" Roggs threw his entire body up and down, a gesture that he had picked up on after watching humans shrug.

Touya smiled. "Yeah, I don't know either. We'll figure it out eventually, I guess. In the meantime," he added, "it's time for bed."

Roggs chirped sadly, trying to convince Touya to let him stay up. "No can do, pal. We gotta get up bright and early tomorrow if we want to take on the Striaton Gym and visit the Dreamyard tomorrow." Roggs resigned himself to the situation, allowing Touya to carry him over to the blankets he had set up for his Pokémon to sleep in. Lily was already sound asleep, and Roggs drifted off soon after.

Touya stayed up a little longer, watching the friends he had made drift off to sleep. Was it really just that morning that he'd met them? It felt like a lifetime ago. His last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that if travelling was like this every day, he never wanted to settle down.

**A/N: Gah, it's so hard for me to stop writing when I get really into it. Can you believe I've only just finished the first day? Touya's right – it feels like forever ago. Also, I'm sorry if the battle disappointed anyone, it's the first time I've tried to write one, so I don't think it was very good. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing this! There is definitely more to come – lots more, in fact – so don't think I'm ditching this! And with that, I bid you adieu – at least until the next chapter. Stay wonderful, my Rainbows.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokémon, everyone would be gay. EVERYONE. So be very grateful I don't own it.**

**A/N: I'm glad to be feeling the love. As an aspiring writer, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has given feedback, positive or negative, for a moment. You guys are the ones that tell me what I'm doing right and wrong, and I adjust accordingly. It's really starting to show. I promise to spare each and every one of you from the coal mines when I conquer the world. In the meantime, my thanks will have to do. And now without further ado, the Dawn of the Second Day (More than 48 hours remaining)!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Double Battles, Badges, and Plastic Armor**

The sun had not yet begun to rise when Touya woke up the next day. Without opening his eyes he sat up, stretched, got out of bed, and started walking towards the bathroom adjacent to his room when he tripped over something that _definitely_ had not been there the night before. He picked himself up, opening his eyes for the first time that morning.

It wasn't his room.

Sure, there was a bed, a dresser, hell, even the bathroom door was where it should be. But the wallpaper was wrong, the temperature was wrong, and he was certain that there were supposed to be clothes in the dresser.

Then his eyes fell upon the Roggenrola he had tripped over, nestled snugly in the blanket with a Lillipup. Oh, right.

Seeing that his Pokémon were still asleep, Touya decided to take a shower before exiting the room as quietly as possible. Down in the lobby, Touya was surprised to notice that the breakfast buffet, rather unimpressive as it was, was already set out. Not that he minded, of course, since he usually ate at this hour anyways. Still, he hadn't expected the Pokémon Center to set out breakfast for several more hours. He took his time eating, thinking over what he wanted to do for the day as he ate.

He wanted to get to go to Striaton, that much was certain. It was nearly a four hour walk, though, so he'd have to leave soon if he wanted to get there in time to do anything today.

Speaking of which, what _was _there to do in Striaton City? Touya checked the Town Map he had received, taking a good look at what Striaton had to offer.

There wasn't much – the Trainer School was there, though Touya wasn't going to bother, having learned the basics of being a Trainer from all his field work with Professor Juniper. There was also an elaborate garden in the western section of the city, and a scientist by the name of Fennel had her lab there.

There was, however, a gym.

Touya blinked, considering the possibility. Would Roggs be willing to even consider it? What about Lily? Then N's words from the previous evening floated back to him.

_"Roggs enjoys the idea of battling. He told me so in our battle earlier. He loves the thrill of even combat. I have little doubt that if you really wanted to become the Champion, he would follow you without question." _N had said. Touya thought about that. He did want the best for his Pokémon, and if Roggs loved battling so much, who was Touya to say no?

He decided to take the gym challenge, then almost changed his mind when he realized how tough the gym would be. He checked the map again, hoping there would be _somewhere_ that Roggs could train to take on the gym. At last, he saw an ideal spot to the east of Striaton: the Dreamyard. Apparently, it was a ruined research facility now overrun by Pokémon, some of which were incredibly rare. Touya decided that it would be the best place to train with Roggs and possibly even Lily if she decided she was up for the challenge. Putting away his map, he grabbed two bowls of Pokéfeed to take to his Pokémon.

Back in his room, Touya packed the little he had into his bag so that he could leave as soon as his friends were ready. Once that was done, he pulled out his Pokédex to get a good look at it. Despite the fact that it had to be constantly active in order scan Pokémon in the wild, it had a surprisingly long battery life, able to go months on a few hours of charge. The model itself was small and compact with a sleek design and a metallic red paint coat. Flipping open the lid, Touya selected Roggenrola's data, curious as to what the device had to offer on the rock type.

_Its ear is hexagonal in shape. Compressed underground, its body is as hard as steel,_ Touya read. _They were discovered a hundred years ago in an earthquake fissure. Inside each one is an energy core._ He closed the lid, realizing that Lily had begun to stir.

"Good morning," Touya whispered to the rising puppy. Lily walked over towards the bed where Touya sat and sat down, demanding that she be fed. Smiling, he offered her one of the food bowls he had brought back up, which Lily promptly began to devour with the noisy enthusiasm of a young pup.

Not surprisingly, all the noise woke Roggs as well, and Touya offered the Roggenrola the other food bowl, only for him to reject the food.

"Aw, I'm sorry Roggs, but this is all they had," Touya apologized. Roggs continued to turn his nose up at the substance.

Touya sighed. "Look, I know it isn't the most appetizing breakfast, but I need you to eat it. We don't have any berries, and I want to take on the Striaton gym today, so I need you at your best."

Roggs perked up, chirping excitedly. Touya laughed at his friend's sudden eagerness, relieved that the news had gone over so well. Not about to be left out of the excitement, Lily came barreling into Touya with all her strength in an unsuccessful attempt to knock her Trainer to the ground without hurting him.

Touya grinned. "That's right! So I need you both to eat your breakfast so you have something in you on the road. We can look for berries on the road later," he added, trying to encourage Roggs to eat some.

It worked. The rock type attacked his food with vigor while Touya went to wake Bianca.

"Bianca?" he asked, knocking on the door. When she didn't answer after a few minutes, he knocked again before realizing that they had swapped the spare room keys the night before in case anything came up. Inserting the key, he reached for the handle when it swung open to reveal a fully packed Bianca.

"Ready to go, Touya?" she asked.

Touya nodded. "Let's go!" he said, opening his room door to get his Pokémon. "Oh, but have you eaten yet?"

"Oh, you're right. I hope you don't mind waiting on me!"

Touya laughed. "It's no problem, really. These two probably need to run around a little anyways," he said, gesturing to Lily in particular, who was currently attempting to climb Touya's leg Spider – Man style.

Bianca laughed. "Well, you do that then, and I'll meet you on Route 2!" she said.

Touya nodded, scooping up Roggs in his arms. He was having a considerably harder time than yesterday; Roggs was heavy! At least this way he'd be getting stronger on his journey as well as his Pokémon.

* * *

Touya had been waiting at Route 2 for at least an hour past the time they agreed to meet at. This was ridiculous! Bianca never had had a good sense of time to begin with, but even she should've shown up by now. Where was she?

He was about to go back to the Center to try and find her when his Xtransciever rang. Picking up, he was pleased to see Bianca on the other end.

"Hey, Bianca!" he said. "Where are you?"

Bianca looked more than a little sheepish as she replied. "Oh… I'm on Route 2; I'll probably be in Striaton in another couple hours."

Touya's heart sank. "You left without me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I ran into Cheren and Touko not too far out, apparently they've been training all night. They asked me to tag along in case than ran into any trouble, so how could I say no?"

Touya sighed. "Well… thanks for letting me know," he said, hanging up. Lily put a paw on his leg in sympathy, understanding her Trainer's sadness at being left behind.

"It's not that big a deal, Lily, we can look after ourselves. Let's go ahead and get going so we can get there on time."

* * *

Hours later, and after several Trainer battles, all of which Roggs won, increasing the weight of their wallet, the three arrived in Striaton city. Touya didn't really take the time to sight see, as he already had a goal in mind, finding the Dreamyard. He decided that he may as well ask for directions.

"Excuse me, but do you know how to get to the Dreamyard? I want to train my Pokémon some before I challenge the gym," Touya explained to the nearest resident of the city.

The man gave him directions, and Touya offered him his thanks before running off towards the Dreamyard. Just as he was about to step inside, a familiar voice called out.

"Hey Touya, wait up!" Bianca's cheery voice echoed across the path as she ran up, accompanied by Touko and Cheren.

"Hello, Touko, Cheren," Touya nodded towards the other two. "So what do you want?"

Okay, maybe he was a little bitter about being ditched that morning.

If any of the others picked up on his mood, though, they didn't show it. "We were hoping you were up for a battle," Bianca explained.

Touya looked between the three other trainers. "Against all three of you? No way!"

Cheren laughed. "No, stupid, a double battle! Touko and myself against you and Bianca!"

Touya bristled at the way Cheren had called him stupid. Even though he had known Cheren for years, he hadn't realized how _insulting_ he could be sometimes. Interestingly enough, though, it was enough to make him accept the challenge.

"Okay," he said. "You're on!"

Bianca clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! Let's get started!"

Touya looked down at Roggs, silently asking if he was up for this. Roggs chirped eagerly, but there was an edge of exhaustion to his voice. He had been training all morning, so of course he'd be tired. Battling right now was out of the question – he wanted Roggs to save his strength for the Dreamyard.

"Roggs, go ahead and sit this one out. Lily and I can handle this," Touya told the rock type, who chirped in disappointment. Lily, on the other hand, sprang up, eager for a chance to battle.

"Alright, so is everyone ready?" Touko asked. The others nodded in unison. "All right, then! Go, Oshawott!"

"Go, Purrloin!"

"Go, Tepig!"

Touya simply looked down at Lily, who understood the command, leaping into the battle with an absolutely adorable war cry.

It was Oshawott and Purrloin against Tepig and Lily. Touya winced; Oshawott had type advantage over Tepig, making this battle all the more challenging. Still, they could do it… right?

"Oshawott, use Water Gun on Tepig!" Touko cried.

"Lily! Take the hit and counter with Bite!" Touya commanded, watching with satisfaction as Lily barely flinched taking the Water Gun before delivering a vicious bite attack to Oshawott, who went reeling, temporarily stunned.

"All right! Tepig, use this opening! Use Ember on Purrloin!" Bianca shouted, trying to take advantage of the opportunity that Touya had provided her.

Cheren pushed his glasses up on his face. "Ah, now let's see… Purrloin, try your assist attack!"

Purrloin mewed her affirmative, glowing white for a brief second before lashing out with a long green vine protruding from her back. The move hit Tepig head on, knocking it back a bit before it recovered and delivered the burn attack. Purrloin flinched, nursing the severely burned area, but appeared otherwise unharmed.

"Okay then, time for the follow up! Lily, Tackle Attack!"

"Tepig, you do the same!"

"Purrloin, dodge at least one of the Tackles and use scratch on that Lillipup!"

Everything moved so fast Touya almost couldn't follow it. In an effort to dodge the attacks, Purrloin sprang into the air with feline grace, and almost got away. However, both of the other Pokémon changed their course just in time and sprang into the air to deliver their devastating attacks. Sandwiched between the two Tackles, Purrloin cried out, dropping limply to the ground. Cheren scowled.

"Purrloin, return!" he called, recalling Purrloin to her Pokéball before throwing his other one. "Go, Snivy!"

In a flash of light, the grass type Pokémon appeared, giving off the same superior air that his Trainer positively radiated.

"All right Snivy, we're at a type disadvantage right now, so we're going to have to do this quick. Vine Whip on Lillipup!"

"Dodge it!"

"Hit the vines with Ember!"

Lily dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the plant tendril that had nearly sent her sprawling. Meanwhile, Tepig lashed out with his fire attack again, singeing the vines badly. Snivy cried out, causing Cheren to swear under his breath. It would probably be too painful for Snivy to use Vine Whip again.

By now, Oshawott had recovered, causing Touya to draw his attention to the water type, trusting Bianca to protect his team from Snivy's dangerous attacks.

"Oshawott, try another Water Gun attack on Lillipup!" Touko cried, not caring that it had barely slowed the resilient pup last time.

"Lily, do the same thing as before!" Touko's eyes widened when she saw Lily shrug off not one, but two Water Guns as it closed in on Oshawott. The poor water type was unable to withstand the second attack, and collapsed, unconscious. With her only Pokémon out of the fight, Touko took a step back, trying to figure out how she had gone down so quickly.

Touya and Bianca exchanged glances, and nodded. "All right, let's finish this! Lily, use Bite!"

"Tepig, one more time! Ember attack!"

"Snivy, jump out of the way and use Leer!"

Unlike Purrloin, Snivy managed to jump out of the way of Lily's Bite, but Tepig was ready for him, and aimed for where he was going to jump, so the attack hit Snivy full force. Snivy was unconscious before he hit the ground. Cheren returned his Pokémon, scowling.

"You… you just won because you had type advantage!"

Bianca didn't hear him; she was busy embracing Touya in a death grip. "Thanks so much, Touya! I couldn't have won that without you!"

Touya squirmed in her grip. "Can't… breathe…" he managed to gasp. Bianca let go quickly, blushing and stammering an apology.

After Touko and Cheren paid the other Trainers for winning, they walked into the Dreamyard.

Touya turned to Bianca as they walked. "Hey, you know, we made a really good team. You want to take on the Striaton gym together?"

Cheren looked back at the two. "Nope. She's triple battling with Touko and myself."

Bianca glared at the arrogant Trainer ahead, who had already turned back around and resumed walking. "He's right," she apologized. "I did agree to take the gym on with them earlier today. It's going to be exciting! Oh," she said, looking at Touya like she was ashamed of her actions. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be boasting like that."

Touya laughed. "It's okay," he said. "Go ahead and have your fun with those two; I can handle a single challenge."

Bianca looked relieved. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Touko. "Hey, you two coming? We've got exploring to do!"

"R – Right! Coming!" called Bianca, but Touya shook his head.

"I'm going to stay around here, see what I can find," he said simply. Touko looked disappointed, but didn't press the matter.

Once they had gone, Touya went to look around the area for some way he could train both Roggs and Lily. Instead, he found a girl not much older than himself. "Hey, are you a Trainer?" she asked.

"Yeah, want to battle?" he replied.

The girl looked shocked. "Oh my, no! I need someone to look after a Pokémon for me. This is Molly," she said, indicating the peculiar squirrel – like Pokémon perched on her shoulder. "She's an Emolga – part flying type and part electric type. I tried to train her, but I just don't have the knack for it. Would you like to look after her for me?"

Touya nodded. "Of course! Anything to help the Pokémon!"

The girl looked relieved. "Thank you! My name's Shirley, by the way," she added.

"I'm Touya," he replied, offering his hand.

Shaking it, Shirley thanked him again for taking the Emolga in, before suddenly remembering that she was late for her next class at some Striaton private school.

Touya watched her leave, then turned his attention to the Emolga he had taken in. "Hey there, Molly. I'm Touya, your new Trainer. This is Lily, and this is Roggs," he added, introducing his other Pokémon. Molly looked a little hesitant, but opened up to the other two rather quickly. Touya laughed when Lily yipped in surprise as Molly took to the air. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy having Molly around.

* * *

After spending most of the afternoon training the three Pokémon, Touya felt ready to challenge the gym. Walking inside, he was surprised to see a restaurant instead of a gym floor. His confusion must've been obvious, because a man in his thirties walked over him.

"Yo! Champ in the making! Here for the first time? That's okay! Everyone starts somewhere. Here, take this Fresh Water," he said, shoving a bottle into Touya's hands and chattering a mile a minute. "The gym's in the back, so go right on through!" he added, giving Touya a shove in the general direction.

Touya reached the back fairly easily, coming face to face with the Gym Leaders Chili, Cress and Cilan. The three regarded him with interest. "We haven't seen you around before," said Cilan. "Are you a new challenger?"

Touya nodded, gesturing to his Pokémon, who felt as fine as ever after their brief stop at the Pokémon Center on the way over for a quick rest and so Touya could rent a room for the night.

"That's right! My name's Touya, let's get this going!" he shouted with enthusiasm. The three Leaders blinked as one, and then grinned. Cress stepped forward.

"All right, we'll accept your challenge! But first, we must know, what was your starter Pokémon?"

Touya didn't reply audibly, instead indicating Roggs with a brief jerk of his head.

"Is that so? In that case then, you'll be facing… ME!" Cress shouted. Touya nodded.

"Okay then, let's go! Lily, you're up!"

Cress smiled. "Go, Panpour! Use Work Up!"

Panpour closed her eyes, trying to focus her energy.

"Lily, don't give her the chance! Use Bite!" Touya's idea worked, cutting off the flow of energy from the Panpour.

"Good job! Follow up with Tackle!"

"Stop her! Use Lick!"

Though they moved at the same time, only Lily's attack landed, Panpour's tongue phasing right through the puppy. Cress looked at the results in shock. "What?" he asked in disbelief.

Cilan nudged his shoulder. "You can't use a ghost type move on a normal type Pokémon."

Cress turned bright red, embarrassed that he'd forgotten one of the most basic type matchups. "Oh, right."

Meanwhile, Touya had continued his fierce offensive, giving the distracted Leader no mercy. Panpour was seriously bruised, and as Cress turned his attention back to the battle, Lily landed a finishing Bite that knocked Panpour out.

"Argh! I lost my focus! Panpour, return," he said, withdrawing his Pokémon. "Well, I think it's pretty obvious who won this battle," he added, holding out an irregularly shaped badge.

"But you still have one more Pokémon!" Touya pointed out. Chili laughed.

"Kid, our job isn't to exhaust our Pokémon against everyone who comes our way, it's to measure each challenger's strength," he explained. "If Cress says you've earned it, you've earned it."

Touya reluctantly accepted the badge. "The Trio badge will let you control traded Pokémon up to level twenty," Cilan added. "Now, if you'll excuse us, it is getting late, we'd like to retire."

Touya nodded, walking back outside. He was proud of Lily; she'd performed better in the battle then he had expected. Although, it had been fairly one sided since Cress had gotten distracted halfway through the fight. Touya frowned. Had he actually earned the badge, or had Cress simply given it to him because he had been tired?

As if sensing his emotions, Molly, who had been perched on his shoulder, nipped at his ear, telling him to stop worrying about it. Touya smiled at his new friend's simple way of thinking. It would definitely be refreshing to look at things with a simpler perspective every once in a while.

"Touya?" an unfamiliar voice called. Touya stopped, trying to locate the source of the voice. The voice found him on its own however. "Ah, there you are! Professor Juniper told me you were probably nearby! I happen to need some help with an experiment of mine. Could you be bothered to help? I'll make it worth your time. Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Fennel. I'm an associate of Professor Juniper's."

Touya nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fennel! And yes, I would be happy to help. What exactly do you need me to help with?"

"It's simple, really. I just need you to go to the Dreamyard and collect some Dream Mist from a Munna. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, it's no problem," Touya said, though he wondered how likely it would be he'd actually succeed. Fennel, however, failed to notice the hesitation.

"Oh, splendid! Here, take this! It's a Hidden Machine that contains Cut. You'll need it to get inside the part of the Dreamyard where Munna live! Good luck!" she called as she walked away.

Touya had been a bit taken aback at her openness. Now, HM in hand, Touya went back to the Dreamyard, noticing the slim tree that blocked an archway he'd overlooked earlier. Checking the HM label, he realized that only Molly had the capability to learn the move. Not that it mattered much who learned it to him, but Roggs would be disappointed.

After teaching Molly the move and moving into the Dreamyard, some shouting caught his attention, and he went to investigate.

"C'mon you stupid Munna, give us some Dream Mist!" Dream Mist? The shouts had Touya's full attention now. He ran towards their source, greeted by a couple of the men in armor from Accumula town, kicking at a small pink Pokémon lying helplessly on the ground.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

Surprisingly, it was not Touya that shouted the question, but Bianca, who ran up behind Touya. "Hey," she said. "Fennel sent me when she realized that you didn't know where her lab was. Once we have the Dream Mist, I'm supposed to show you back," she explained.

One of the knights – Plasma Grunts – spoke up. "Hey, just who the hell are you to tell us what to do?"

Touya stepped forward. "I'm Touya, and I say BACK OFF!" Roggs chirped his agreement, jumping forward to protect his friends.

The Plasma Grunts perked up. "Hey, look at that, a Trainer!" one said.

"Why don't we liberate his Pokémon?" asked the other. The first one nodded, stepping forward.

"Hey, kid, hand over your Pokémon now so that this doesn't get messy!" he barked. Lily barked her rejection of the offer, and Touya nodded his agreement.

"Like hell I will."

The Grunt nodded. "Alright then, we'll take them by force! Go, Patrat!"

Bianca grabbed Touya's arm. "Be careful, Touya!" she urged.

Touya laughed. "I'm not afraid of a couple of idiots in plastic armor," he replied, raising his voice enough for the Plasma Grunts to hear. They trembled with rage.

"Why, you! You'll pay for that!"

Touya laughed. "Just try to make me. Molly, let's go!"

* * *

**A/N: How does a Roggenrola eat, anyways? At any rate, wow, this chapter ran on for a while! I'm sorry that Roggs didn't get much screen time, but I wanted to show off Lily a little, and of course Molly had to have some time of her own after she showed up.**

**On a different note, the character that gives Touya Molly is actually based off the character of Shirley from the anime Code Geass (which I don't own – nice try). I actually could see something like that happening if she tried to raise a Pokémon.**

**Anyways, as always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll be sure to start working on the next one right away! In the meantime, stay beautiful, my Rainbows, and find something else to read while you wait!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own neither Pokémon nor Code Geass (which may or may not be mentioned in the story as time progresses). Although, I'm thinking of asking Lelouch to help me fix that. Nah.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to erihan for explaining to me how Roggenrola absorb energy/nutrients/whatever they take from that source. Time to get creative.**

**Chapter 6: Dream Plasma and Team Mist… Or Something Like That**

* * *

Molly flew forward, not waiting for Touya's command before launching her opening Quick Attack. They had worked out this opening many times before, and Molly knew exactly what path to take to deal the most damage to Patrat. The poor Pokémon went sprawling, dazed by the unexpectedly quick offense.

The Plasma Grunt swore loudly. "Get up, Patrat! Use Bide!"

Patrat groaned, struggling to pick itself up as it was still a little dazed. In the end, however, he managed to get up, and obeyed his Trainer, cloaking himself in an orange glow.

Touya winced. Bide, as he'd experienced training with Molly earlier, would strike out with twice the force of the combined attacks that hit it's user after a few turns of charging. Having landed a critical hit with Molly, he knew the move would be exceptionally powerful, and he worried if even Roggs could withstand the hit. The rock type had the advantage normally, but Bide _hurt_.

Making up his mind, he decided to instead of try to endure, he'd beat Patrat to the finishing blow. "Molly, use Charge!" he shouted, watching his Pokémon glow yellow with his orders. Meanwhile, Patrat's Bide grew stronger, and Touya knew they were almost out of time. "Time to finish this," he muttered under his breath, then gave his next command. "Let's end this! Use Spark!"

Molly chittered her acknowledgement, then cloaked herself in a Charge – field of electricity, flying straight towards Patrat, knocking him several yards. This time, it didn't get up.

The Plasma Grunt recalled his Pokémon, cursing under his breath. "Worthless little bastard," he muttered.

Bianca's face blanched. "How could you say such a thing?" she demanded.

The Plasma Grunt regarded her curiously. "It's just a tool for liberation. Why should I care about it?"

Bianca trembled with rage. "WHAT?" she roared in a rare display of courage. She marched over to the poor Grunt, kicked him in… _that_ area, and marched back over to Touya. Once back, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Consider that karma for your attitude."

The other Grunt sighed. "If you want to do anything right, you have to do it yourself," she muttered, tossing out a Purrloin. Touya looked to Molly, silently asking her whether she wanted to continue. She nodded, looking somewhat murderous after listening to the first Plasma Grunt talk about Pokémon like tools. Touya nodded, and Molly flew forth, once again catching her opponent off guard with Quick Attack. Unfortunately, Purrloin was more durable than the Patrat had been, and barely flinched at the contact. This didn't deter Molly, however, who swooped back in for another pass. Touya decided to change tactics before she could land another blow, however.

"Molly, use ThunderShock!"

The Emolga paused in midflight, nodding her understanding before unleashing a lethal coil of electricity, which struck Purrloin with more strength than her Charged Spark had struck Patrat. Purrloin went flying, crashing against one of the walls of the Dreamyard. Struggling to get up, Purrloin tried to lure Molly close in order to hit her with a Scratch attack. Touya, however, had fought Purrloins before, aware of how sneaky they were, and ordered Molly to use another ThunderShock on Purrloin.

The combined strength of both attacks were too much for the poor feline Pokémon to take, and Purrloin fell over, unconscious. The second Grunt regarded Touya with outright shock.

"Who… who are you?"

Touya smirked. "I already told you, my name's Touya, and now I'm _asking_ you to leave," he said, placing so much emphasis on the word "asking" that it was clear what he really meant.

The Grunt snorted. "No way! Not until we get that Dream Mist!" she said, turning her attention back to the poor Pokémon, lying almost forgotten on the ground.

"What are you two doing goofing off like that?"

_That voice,_ Touya thought. _I've heard it before… but where?_

His curiosity didn't last long, as a man wearing what was best described as a purple tent walked out from the shadows. Touya jumped when an identical copy stepped out on the other side, flanking the Plasma Grunts.

"We, Team Plasma, shall separate Pokémon from foolish people!" the second one said, and then Touya remembered. _Ghetsi_s. How could he have forgotten a man who wore a _tent_ as his apparel?

Suddenly, both Ghetsis were gone, and another stood in front of the Grunts, nearly causing the one who was not lying helplessly on the ground as a result of a particular enraged female's actions to nearly jump out of her skin.

"If you cannot fulfill your duties…" Ghetsis trailed off warningly, sending a shiver down Touya's spine.

The standing Grunt paled. "This… this isn't Ghetsis when he's gathering followers, or Ghetsis when he is trying to control people by tricking them with speeches!" she exclaimed.

The other Grunt, who was starting to sit up tentatively, nodded. "Yeah… this is Ghetsis when a plan has failed, and he is about to issue punishment!"

The female Grunt nodded. "At any rate, let's hurry up and apologize so he forgives us!"

Scooping up her companion in her arms, she fled.

_What?_ Touya was confused. _I thought they were about to apologize…_

He snapped out of his thoughts as the Ghetsis in front of him vanished. Touya was truly terrified of this man by now. How could anyone oppose someone as powerful as to create doubles of themselves and teleport at will?

Then things got even weirder. Another strange Pokémon, resembling a Munna, but with a trail of mist protruding from its body floated out, investigating the Munna, then doing the equivalent of helping the other to its feet.

"Is that… a Musharna?" Bianca wondered aloud. "So, then… none of that was real?"

"That's right!" came a voice behind them as Fennel walked up. She laughed when Touya and Bianca looked at her with confusion on their faces. "I couldn't wait, so I came over! Looks like I got here just in time, too!"

Indeed, Munna had been helped to its feet by now, and looked at Touya with gratefulness in its eyes. It then proceeded to breath out the same vapor that was being released by the Musharna before leaving with Musharna.

"Ha! Dream Mist! Thank you so much, Touya! You've no idea how helpful you've been!" Fennel exclaimed as she walked towards the vapor, which had settled in a small cloud close to the ground, and put it in a vial.

Seeing that Fennel had become distracted, Touya suggested that Bianca and himself get back to the Pokémon Center. It was late, after all, and Touya wanted to head out to Nacrene city the next day. Bianca agreed, and they left the preoccupied scientist to her work.

That night, as Touya lay in bed, trying to sleep, a disturbing thought hit him. One of the Grunts had said that Ghetsis tried to control people through trickery. What did that mean? Was the rally at Accumula a lie? For that matter, what were Ghetsis' motives? Why did Touya feel as though he had gotten himself involved in something massive, something that could easily get him hurt?

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, guys! I promise to make the next one longer! I don't know if it'll be as long as chapter five was (that chapter was MASSIVE!), but it'll definitely be longer than this one was!**

**On that note, I will see you later! Stay wonderful!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokémon or Code Geass (which is referenced in this chapter). I'm also questioning the necessity of disclaimers on a fan fiction site, but that's not important.**

**Chapter 7: Bianca's Rage and a Mysterious Orb**

* * *

Touya left early the next day. Nacrene city was at least eighteen hours away on foot, and he wanted to keep the nights he spent away from the cities limited to as few as he could. When he tried to leave Striaton, he was briefly stopped by a crazy old man who threatened to keep him from passing until he was shown "a nice, shiny Gym Badge!" Fortunately, having won his last night, he managed to convince the somewhat creepy senior to let him by.

Outside the city a little ways, there was a two building day care that catered to both children and Pokémon. While Touya understood the purpose behind a children's day care, he was confused as to why anyone would leave their Pokémon in day care. After all, the point of having a Pokémon with you is to have a companion. He would never leave Roggs in day care, nor Lily or Molly. As if sensing his troubling thoughts, Molly landed back on his shoulder and nuzzled her face against his cheek, the static in her body briefly shocking Touya before she took off again. Shaking his head, Touya decided to not let the day care bother him as he turned to set off once again.

He had been walking for a couple of hours when he heard his name called out. Sighing, he turned around as Cheren walked up to him.

"Yes, Cheren?" he asked, trying to keep the hostility out of his voice.

"I heard you earned your Trio Badge, so let's have a battle!"

Touya nodded, setting down Roggs. "All right then! Let's do this, Lily!"

Lily barked, jumping forward. Cheren pushed his glasses up on his face, pulling out a Pokéball. "Go, Snivy!" he shouted.

The two Pokémon circled each other warily, each remembering the other from yesterday. Neither was willing to make the first move until their respective Trainers ordered them to do so. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

"Snivy, use Vine Whip!"

"Lily, Bite the vines!"

As the plant tendrils flew towards Lily, she opened her jaws, baring her razor sharp teeth. A second later, those teeth clamped down on the vines Snivy used to execute his Vine Whip. Snivy yelped in pain, still not fully recovered from the burns he had suffered at the hands of Tepig yesterday. Cheren scowled.

"Ugh! You choose a good move, like Touko would. Snivy, use Tackle!"

"Take Down, Lily!"

Lily nodded, understanding her Trainer's reasoning. While Lily also knew Tackle, none of them knew whether Lily or Snivy had a more powerful Tackle attack. Therefore, Touya was willing to let Lily take some recoil damage in order to counter with a more powerful attack. It wasn't a strategy Touya would use under normal circumstances, but this was Cheren he was up against, and he simply had to win.

The two Pokémon collided, Lily holding her ground while Snivy flew backwards, yelping in pain.

"Lily, follow up with Bite!"

Lily barked, charging the poor Snivy with her powerful attack once more. This time, she closed her jaws around the proper body of her opponent, rather than the vines that made up his signature (and ineffective) move. Snivy couldn't take the attack, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Cheren scowled, returning Snivy to his Pokéball and sending out Purrloin.

Said Purrloin's battle style had changed drastically since their last battle. Where before she would wait and time her Scratch attacks carefully, she was now a flying fury of Sand – Attacks and Fury Swipes. Touya saw this, and knew that Lily wasn't sturdy enough to endure this barrage and counter effectively.

"Lily, get back! Roggs, let's go! Rock Blast!" he shouted.

Roggs chirped, unleashing his deadly barrage of boulders as Purrloin bounced off a tree trunk and flew straight at him. The barrage hit Purrloin head on, in what was becoming a tediously frequent midair hit. Purrloin dropped on her back, proving once and for all that cats do not always land on their feet, before rolling over and launching at Roggs again, knowing better than to try to drop down on him from above. Roggs, not used to fighting such a chaotic opponent, was caught off guard by the sudden change in tactics, letting Purrloin get in several good hits before he broke away, using Harden to protect himself against the furious onslaught.

Touya furrowed his brow in concentration. How was he going to bring the wild cat down? He watched the fight intently as Roggs alternated between Harden and Rock Blast attacks while Purrloin effortlessly dodged most of the Rock Blasts and continued to strike at Roggs with her Fury Swipes. After a while, he saw something about Purrloin, barely noticeable, but there nonetheless. Every time she dodged Rock Blasts, she jumped left, then right, then left again twice before jumping to the right.

"Roggs, use Rock Blast sky dirt sky sky dirt!" he shouted. It was actually a battle code for Molly originally, designed to direct her ThunderShock attack for an evasive opponent, with "sky" meaning to aim for the right of the opponent, and "dirt" to aim for the left. Touya hadn't bothered to teach Roggs the code, but since he only trained one of his Pokémon at a time, he hoped Roggs had picked up on the code while watching Touya and Molly train.

He had placed his faith correctly. Roggs placed each shot perfectly, absolutely pulverizing Purrloin. The cat collapsed, thoroughly exhausted. Cheren groaned.

"Why do you keep beating me? We have the same number of Gym Badges. We should be equals in strength!" he said, returning Purrloin to her Pokéball.

Touya started to reply when a new voice cut him off.

"Out of the way!" shouted a Team Plasma Grunt as he and his partner sprinted past, followed by a small child, a nervous looking Touko, and a really pissed off looking Bianca.

"Where'd they go?" growled Bianca, looking like she might kick someone else if she didn't get an answer. Cheren sighed.

"If you're looking for Team Plasma, they just ran off towards Wellspring Cave," he said, not seeming intimidated by Bianca's rage.

"Well, that just figures, doesn't it? Leave it to a bunch of rotten THIEVES to go hide in a cave!" she exclaimed angrily.

The poor girl tugged at Touko's shirt. "Uh, miss? My Pokémon?" she asked, looking like she was about to cry. Touko smiled.

"Don't worry; we'll get your Pokémon back for sure!" Touya nodded in agreement, understanding the situation.

"Touya! Come with me! We're getting that Pokémon back… and then they'll pay!" Bianca growled, and Touya was terrified for a moment until he remembered who Bianca's anger was directed at. "You two!" she barked, making Cheren and Touko jump. "You're staying with Nunally here until we get back. If you leave, go to the day care. Otherwise, don't leave this spot no matter what!"

Cheren and Touko swallowed. "R - Right!" Touko said, and that seemed to satisfy Bianca.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing Touya's arm and dragging him along towards Wellspring Cave.

* * *

Inside the cave was surprisingly well lit, which was good for Touya and Bianca, but it also means Team Plasma saw them as soon as they came in. "What the hell do you two want?" one of them asked, keeping his distance. Touya realized he was the same Grunt from the Dreamyard last night.

"We're here to get that Pokémon back!" Touya said, cutting Bianca off before she could say something insulting.

The Plasma Grunt scoffed. "You two? Taking a Pokémon by force? That's considered stealing, you know," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, really? Because you didn't steal it from the child we're giving it back to?"

Another Grunt, though not the same one from yesterday, walked up. "That's right!" he began. "We liberated that poor Pokémon from a Trainer that can't use it to its full potential!" he said proudly. "As a matter of fact, you two are Trainers also, aren't you? Go ahead and give us your Pokémon now, then!"

Bianca trembled with barely contained rage. Touya put his arm in front of her. "Don't worry, I've got this," he said with a confident grin. Then, turning back to the Grunts, he said, "Why don't you come over here and make us?"

"All right, I will then!"

The Grunt from yesterday put a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "No, don't, he's too strong! And the girl-" he cut off midsentence.

The other Grunt raised an eyebrow. "And the girl what?" he said.

"Nothing," said quickly, turning just a little red from embarrassment.

The Grunt approached Touya and Bianca. "All right, here we go! I'm taking your Pokémon, whether you want me to or not!"

They battled. Touya won. Bianca kicked both the Grunts. Hauling one to his feet, she snarled, "Where is it?"

The Grunt gulped. "I don't know, I didn't take it, the ones who did are further back!"

Bianca smiled. "Thanks!" she said before kneeing him in the stomach and skipping deeper into the cave. Touya watched with some concern, then decided to follow her. He stopped, though, when he heard screaming from deeper within, followed by Bianca walking back, a new Pokéball in hand.

* * *

They returned the Pokéball to Nunally, who thanked Touya and hugged Bianca before allowing Touko to walk her back to Striaton. Cheren had walked off towards Nacrene before they got back, so Touya and Bianca were left alone.

Bianca stared at Touya for a bit, lost in thought. "What?" Touya asked, concerned for his friend's mental health. The way she had acted, both last night and now today had been completely out of character for her.

"I was just… thinking," Bianca started lamely.

"About what?"

"Well… I started thinking about Team Plasma, and the way that they treat Pokémon," she explained. "At the rally in Accumula, they seemed so noble in their intentions, but after seeing this… I just don't know," she said, starting to cry. "It makes me so _angry_ that they would do something like that! How?" she asked, looking straight into Touya's eyes. "How could they do that?"

Touya shook his head. "I don't know, Bianca, but I do know this: we can stop them. We've done it before and we'll do it again. They were scared of us, did you see? They know we're stronger. We'll beat them, whatever happens."

Bianca nodded. "Of course," she said. After a few minutes, she added, "Um… I need to get back to Striaton. Fennel asked for some help with some of her lab work when Team Plasma showed up," she said, looking apologetic. Touya nodded.

"Go on, then, if someone's waiting on you," he said. Bianca nodded, walking away. Touya turned and embarked once more on the road to Nacrene city. The whole scene with Team Plasma had taken the better part of the morning, so Touya had some making up for lost time to do.

* * *

As it happened, he ended up having to spend the night on Route 3, much to his dismay. Still, he didn't regret the reason it had happened. That poor Pokémon must have been so terrified; Touya shuddered to imagine what it felt like. He knew he never wanted to be parted from Roggs, or Lily and Molly. As if sensing his thoughts, Lily walked over to where Touya lay, attempting to sleep, and curled up next to him, leaving Roggs and Molly with each other. Touya rubbed Lily's stomach in appreciation before drifting off.

* * *

The next day, Touya walked for about four hours or so before Nacrene city came into sight. After healing his team as a precaution and booking a room for the night, Touya decided to spend the day looking through the museum. He deserved to have some time off, after all.

No sooner had he walked up the steps to the museum than had N walked out. "Touya!" he said, clearly happy to see the other Trainer and his Pokémon. "I haven't seen you in a while! And who's this?" he asked, walking up to Touya and scratching Molly's chin.

Touya laughed. "It's nice to see you too, N. This is Molly," he said, indicating the Emolga. "I took her in when her original Trainer asked me to." N's face fell.

"Why would she do that to her friend?" N asked bitterly.

"She said that she had tried to train her, but she didn't have the knack for it. She wanted Molly to be with a Trainer that she could battle with. I said yes," Touya explained. N's expression changed to one of disapproval.

"So she left Molly with you because she wanted her to fight?"

"N, I know where you're coming from. Please don't get mad. I don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to. You know I wouldn't."

N nodded. "You're right, I guess. So, what have you been up to?"

Touya grinned. "I beat the Striaton Gym!" he said, before remembering that even if it was N's suggestion, he didn't like the idea of battles. "Oh… sorry!"

N smiled. "Really? I'm happy for you. You and your Pokémon both seem to radiate eagerness about winning that badge. Don't be sorry, Touya. I may not like battles much, but if it makes your Pokémon happy I'll forgive you."

Touya nodded. "Okay, then, I guess. So, um… what have you been up to?"

N hesitated, before beginning. "I… I've been looking for things no one else can see. The ideals of Pokémon kept inside Pokéballs. The truths of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect… don't you want to see those things?"

Touya didn't hesitate. "Of course I want to know! I think that's the reason I started this journey, to know the truth!"

N smiled. "Is that so? I think my friends and I should test you to find out if you really can see this future, too."

Touya hesitated. Last time they had battled, it had been very one sided, and Touya wasn't sure if he could do that to his friend again. N must've seen the hesitation show, because he laughed.

"It's alright! My Pokémon are fine with it, because even if they lose, they'll know that they did their best against a worthy opponent!"

Touya nodded. "All right, then. Go, Molly!"

N nodded. "Go, Timburr!" he called, said Timburr jumping down from the roof of the Museum (what it was doing up there was beyond Touya) to face Molly in battle.

"Timburr, use Low Kick!" N shouted. Touya only nodded towards Molly, who rushed forward, under Timburr's sweeping leg, and delivered a Quick Attack to the main body of Timburr, who yelped in surprise at the blow. N smiled. "Well done! That kind of command takes hours of preparation! I see that you care about your battles!"

Touya smiled. N's words felt good. He wasn't sure how, but they did. Adjusting his hat, he called out, "Molly, use ThunderShock!"

"Timburr, use Bide!"

Touya watched helplessly as Timburr began to glow orange seconds before Molly's attack made contact in a critical hit, sending it sprawling. It seemed severely weakened and possibly paralyzed, though, which made Touya hopeful that they'd be able to prevent the attack from landing. There was, however, the possibility that they would fail, resulting in an attack that no one on his team would be able to withstand.

"Molly, use Charge, then Spark!" Touya called. Molly obeyed, flying towards Timburr as he finished his charge for Bide. Touya held his breath, unsure of the outcome of the risky move. A Charged Spark should be enough to finish off Timburr, but would it land? After all, if Molly got hit, she was finished.

Time seemed to slow as both Touya and N watched anxiously to see which powered up attack would land first, as it would mean the end of the battle for one of the Pokémon. Touya could only watch and hope for the best as the Pokémon charged at each other.

Suddenly, Timburr dropped to the ground in an electric spasm, losing the Bide attack he had built up. This gave Molly the opening she needed, and she slammed into the fighting type full force, knocking him out.

N's other Pokémon – a Tympole and a Pidove – stood no chance against Molly, who had both type advantage and greater confidence in herself after bringing down a Pokémon ready to unleash all sorts of hell on her twice in the sixty hours or so since she'd met Touya. N returned Pidove with a smile, congratulating him on his victory. "I cannot see the future yet… the world is still to be determined…" he said, thinking aloud as he paid Touya for his win.

"Hmm?" Touya asked, curious as to what has led to this thought in his mysterious friend's head.

"Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power… power enough to make anyone agree with me."

"Everyone in agreement would be ideal, I guess, but N, is that truly likely to happen?"

N shook his head, but not in agreement with Touya's reasoning. It was more as if he was clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts. He looked up, meeting Touya's eyes. "Now I know what power I need. In order to save the Pokémon, I must find the legendary dragon that, alongside the hero, created the Unova region! It's my turn to become that hero!" he said with sudden understanding in his eyes. "And you and I will be friends!" he added, placing his hand on Touya's shoulder. Touya hesitated for a moment, disturbed by N's mysterious behavior. When he snapped out of it, N had started walking away.

"N, wait!" Touya said, running after the other boy. N looked back as Touya ran up to him, falling in step with him without realizing it.

They walked in silence for a moment, then another, and another, and before they knew it they had fully healed their Pokémon without saying a word to each other. Ordinarily, Touya would have been concerned, but he felt like just by being with N he was beginning to understand him better.

"So… what are you doing today?" Touya asked, wanting to spend more time with this teen that he had spent less than a week around, yet felt as though he'd known longer than Touko, whom he'd known since birth.

N shrugged. "I was going to visit the museum, but I had to leave as soon as I arrived."

Touya blinked. "Why's that?" he asked, confused.

"They have… Pokémon bones… set up as some kind of centerpiece! It's disgusting! How could anyone do that? Why didn't they just let it rest in peace?"

Touya blinked again. "Did you want to visit the museum?" he asked. N nodded.

"There could've been something I needed there. Important knowledge and things like that," N explained. "Besides… it might've been interesting to see some of the stuff there," he admitted, seeming a little sheepish about the confession.

Touya was getting tired of blinking, but he did it anyways. "Well, that's the case, let's go!" he said.

N looked at him like he was crazy. "But… the skeleton…"

Touya placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "No one's going to make you look at it. Come on!" he said, grabbing N's forearm and dragging him towards the museum.

* * *

N wondered how he'd got himself stuck in this situation. Here he was, in Nacrene city, where he had no business, going to visit the museum with a boy he'd just met that week. Not only that, he was actually _looking forward _to spending time with said boy, after confessing that he'd put his own interest above the needs of Pokémon.

Why was he here? He should leave. But something kept him from doing that. Probably the death grip Touya had on his arm.

He shuddered as he walked in the door, seeing the massive skeletal Pokémon once again. It sickened him to see it. As if picking up on his sudden nausea, Touya grabbed his hand and whispered in his ear, "It's alright. Don't look at it, and you'll be fine. I promise,"

N tried really hard to focus on something, anything, that wasn't the bones as Touya paid for their tickets. He stared at the museum hours sign, the tile patterns on the floor, the green in his hair that he had not once in his life cut, the gentle curves in Touya's lips as he smiled, the way his eyes sparkled with excitement, the wavy brown of his hair, and especially the way his nose was perfectly proportioned on his face.

Wait, what the hell was he thinking?

This wasn't right. He shouldn't be staring at those things. He had a purpose to fulfill, and it didn't involve other humans. Especially finding other humans attractive – _which he was certain he should only see in females!_

Touya, however, seemed oblivious to N's internal crisis as he paid admittance to the museum. "By the way, you should know that if you have the Basic Badge, you get free admittance? The Basic Badge can be earned in the gym at the back of the museum," the receptionist put in helpfully. Both boys turned their attention to the attendant.

"The gym's in the back of the museum?" Touya asked.

The receptionist nodded. "Yes! And if you would like to challenge Gym Leader Lenora at a later date, be sure to stop by her office and fill out the necessary forms to get back there again later without paying museum admission."

Touya nodded. "Thank you, ma'am!"

"Oh, and before you go in, you'll need to put your Pokémon in their Pokéballs," she added. Touya looked to his Pokémon, silently asking permission, which they readily gave. N had left his Pokémon outside, knowing full well he probably wasn't going to need them in the museum, and wanting to keep them outside of the Pokéballs.

As the two walked further into the museum, N spoke up. "Letting Trainers have free access to the museum if they force their Pokémon to battle is wrong."

Touya sighed. "N, can we not talk about that? I'm here to see the museum. I don't even know if I'm going to challenge the other gyms or not."

N nodded, and they continued to examine the exhibits. "Hey, have a look at this," he said, stopping in front of a strange stone. "It says it came from space. I think I'm sensing a connection to something."

Curious, Touya walked over. "A connection?"

Right. Touya didn't know.

"I can sense connections between Pokémon and various other things, like other Pokémon, grottos, caves, and in this case, meteorites. It has to be some sort of significant bond, like a birthplace or parenthood, in order to work, though. The problem is, I don't know of any Pokémon who would call this home. Likewise, it's possible that this part of wherever a Pokémon from space originally came from, but I don't know of any Pokémon that came from space, and there's no way this gave birth to anything," he said, shaking his head.

"Hypothesizing about the origins of the meteorite?" asked a voice behind them. The boys turned to see a woman in her thirties, looking at them with interest in her eyes. "Don't get upset. I've been studying it for years, and so far all I can work out is that it's connected to a Pokémon no one in Unova has seen before," she said. "Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Lenora, the Gym Leader," she said, holding out her hand.

"I'm Touya and this is N," said Touya, shaking her hand. Lenora smiled.

"You two seem like a couple of strong Trainers. Why don't you come by the gym sometime? Here," she said, giving them each a small card. "These'll get you back in to challenge me," she explained. They shrugged, pocketing the cards, not wanting to seem rude.

Lenora left, leaving the two to finish their tour of the museum. After some exhibits on early Pokémon (thankfully devoid of fossils), they found a small pedestal in the back of the room. Upon it lay a perfectly round white stone, seemingly unimpressive. The label simply read, _'A stone unearthed at the Relic Castle'_. N didn't find it particularly interesting.

Apparently Touya did, though. Gasping, he stumbled backwards, holding a hand over his mouth. He would've fallen, had N not caught him. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping Touya regain his balance. Touya nodded.

"I'm fine. Let's keep going."

* * *

The rest of the tour, N couldn't get Touya's reaction out of his mind. Why had he responded that way? N wasn't able to sense any sort of connection between the stone and anything else, so what had happened?

"N? Hey, N, we've seen everything, you want to go revisit anything? Hellooo?" Touya asked, waving a hand in front of N's face, causing N to snap out of his thoughts.

"Hmm? Yeah, I kinda want to go see the stone again…"

Had he really just said that? He shouldn't be opening up to anyone human!

Touya nodded, looking uncertain. "I'd… rather not. I'll wait here for you," he said. N was intrigued. Why might Touya not want to see the stone again?

N shook his head to clear it of concerns about another human. He nodded. "Okay, then, I'll be back in a few minutes," he said before going back to the stone.

He examined it once again. It was still perfectly round, and still pure white. N frowned, concentrating on finding a connection to this stone. He didn't find anything, but he could've sworn he heard a deep female voice say, "No…" as if in disappointment.

* * *

Touya waited anxiously for N to return. How would he explain his reaction to the stone? It certainly was peculiar, but not more than what he had experienced when he had looked at the stone.

_His mind felt like it was being shared, searched through by another being. 'Ah, ' came a voice, strangely both deep and female at the same time. 'You… you have potential, little one. Return to me once you have discovered what it means to defend the truth'. And with that, the presence was gone._

Was Touya going mad? He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. When would N get back?

After waiting about ten minutes or so, N returned. "Let's go," he said.

They were shocked to discover that it was already sunset when they walked outside. "Well, damn," said Touya. "So much for visiting some of the warehouses."

N nodded. "We'll have to visit them tomorrow," he said.

Touya nodded. "Let's go ahead and get back to the Pokémon Center," he said.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but there are no more rooms available," the nurse told N. "You're welcome to stay the night in our lobby, of course."

"Why not share my room?" Touya asked. N tensed. It was an innocent enough question, but it was enough to set him on guard. He did _not _need to develop any more feelings for Touya than he already had. Still, the idea of having somewhere more private to sleep was appealing, and he found himself following Touya and his Pokémon up to the room Touya had had the foresight to reserve earlier that day.

"You can have the bed," Touya said as he pulled down the spare blankets and pillows from the closet, making a bed for him and his Pokémon. They all came over and lay down, asleep within minutes. Touya stayed up just a few more minutes to fully prepare himself for sleep.

"G'night," he said, laying down with his Pokémon.

N didn't stay up any later than that, and even if he did, it was _definitely_ not because Touya looked so peaceful asleep.

**A/N: I love the idea of a badass Bianca. I wanted so badly for her to have a few moments in the games where she just snaps and beats the tar out of anyone who pisses her off. I can definitely see it happening.**

**Finally, we get a look inside N's head! I've been wanting to do this for a little bit now, I just needed a good place to do so.**

**And yeah, if you haven't figured it out, N will be the Hero of Ideals and Touya will be the Hero of Truth.**

**Gah, I know I promised you guys a longer chapter, but I didn't expect it to be THIS long.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Does anyone have a spare ownage of Pokémon and Code Geass that they can let go free? I don't have one.**

**A/N: Yes, I'm back! I haven't updated in a while, because there have been new events in my life taking my attention away from this story, but I'm here now, and that's what counts. Right?**

…

**Alright, alright, I'll shut up, just stop throwing things at me. Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Relationship Isshus**

Touya awoke early the next morning, long before his Pokémon or N awoke. Realizing he had time to kill, he decided to take the time to enjoy his shower. Most of the time, even before he left, he just washed and rinsed in cold water. He rarely used hot water, not because he didn't like it, or it was an unaffordable luxury, just that it had never really occurred to him to do so.

Five minutes into the hot shower, he realized it was going to be hard to take cold showers ever again after feeling rivulets of warming water coarse down his wiry frame. He threw back his head and closed his eyes, letting a long, contented sigh escape his lips without thinking. Then he turned his thoughts to the day's plans. What was he going to do? He already knew he wanted to see the warehouses in Nacrene city, but aside from the gym, that was all there was to do in the city, and he wasn't ready to make the two day trip through Pinwheel forest to Skyarrow Bridge yet.

Perhaps he should just take the afternoon off. He'd been traveling for the past two days, and then there was… the encounter… yesterday. He still wasn't sure what to make of it. "_Return to me once you have discovered what it means to defend the truth? _What does that even mean?" Touya wondered aloud. Shrugging, he decided to think about it later, rather than worry about something as cryptic as the message. Maybe Lenora would know something about it. In order to see her, though, he'd probably have to challenge her. He wasn't sure how willing he was to do that. N wouldn't approve, and he didn't know if his Pokémon were up for the challenge. Still, he did want to know…

* * *

N awoke to the sound of the shower running with Touya nowhere to be found. Sitting up, he checked the time. Surprisingly, it was already seven thirty, much later than the time he usually rose at. He needed to see his Pokémon. They were probably worried by now.

A tapping at the window got his attention, and he opened it to let Pidove fly in.

"Master, are you alright? You don't normally sleep this late…" the bird Pokémon asked.

N smiled. "I'm fine, really, just overslept is all," he reassured his friend. "And don't call me master, because I'm not."

"Yes you are," Pidove insisted. "You're our Trainer. That means you command us in battle. Sounds like a master to me."

N sighed. Pidove was adamant about her views on the subject. N wished he could convince her otherwise, but alas, she was as stubborn as Roggs was.

Touya chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom, clad only in his boxers. N looked away, but if Touya found it awkward, he didn't show it.

"Morning, N," he said cheerfully, rummaging through his bag for a fresh set of clothes. "Hey, I'm gonna go wash my clothes, be back in about ten minutes," he added.

N stared at the door as Touya left, trying to comprehend how Touya could act so casual, nearly naked around another male. Most of the time, he'd observed, and experienced for himself, that most people would be uncomfortable at that level of clothing.

"What's the matter?" chirped Pidove, clearly worried about her Trainer. N shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. Pidove wasn't convinced.

"You're not that loose with any other humans, and you just locked up as soon as you saw him. It's a good thing he was too preoccupied to notice," she said bluntly.

N sighed. "I really don't know. I don't understand this feeling I get around him."

Pidove cocked her head slightly. "Well, figure it out. I'll go let the others know you're fine," she said, flying away.

N sat in silence for a moment before Roggs began to stir. N watched with some affection as Roggs started to panic over Touya's absence before reassuring the rock type that Touya would be back. Roggs seemed willing to accept this, but sat right in front of the door until Touya came back.

"I see you're awake," Touya laughed as the door accidentally knocked Roggs to the side.

"Gah! You're so mean, Touya – san," wailed Roggs in mock indignation. N laughed, knowing Touya did not, nor would he ever be likely to understand what his Pokémon had said.

"Hey, we're gonna visit the Nacrene warehouses today, right?" Touya asked. N shrugged.

"I don't have any better ideas, so why not?" he agreed.

* * *

They spent most of the morning touring the warehouses. The first one they visited had a store that sold some one time power ups for battles, which they both decided not to buy from, thinking it was better to let their skills and training do the fighting than some artificial performance enhancer.

"Aren't they like steroids, anyways?" Touya asked as they hurried along to the next warehouse.

"I suppose so," N answered slowly.

"Then shouldn't they be illegal?" Touya asked. N nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. I never thought about it."

The next warehouse they stopped by was a school for trading Pokémon. They got a lecture about the risks of training traded Pokémon before an older woman asked Touya if he wanted to trade a Cottonee for a Petlil. Touya politely declined, saying he didn't have one anyways. When they met up with their Pokémon outside, he gave them an emotional speech about how they were all too special to him for him to trade them away. His Pokémon reacted with confusion, unaware of what had happened inside, but N nodded approvingly.

They stopped by the furniture warehouse next, but didn't stay as they had no reason to. When they stopped at the next one, though, they decided maybe they could stay.

It was a massive art gallery, with dozens of paintings lining the walls and roof, and many more on stands scattered throughout. It was a very impressive display, and Touya said so aloud.

"Oh, it simply is, isn't it?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Both boys turned to see a woman about their age standing in the doorway. "This is where Burgh comes when he gets artist's block. He used this warehouse full time before he became a Gym Leader. It's simply marvelous, how much he's put in here! Please, feel free to take a look around. I'm Milly, the manager here. I'm paid to make sure no one messes with anything, and to just keep the place tidy in general. If you want, I'll give you the grand tour!"

N shook his head. "No, but thank you," he said. "I'd rather look at each piece and draw my own conclusion based on my own observation and experience."

Milly gasped. "Oh, my, Burgh is definitely going to take a liking to you! Neither of us thought any kids my age still had that philosophy! Why, I bet you're a brilliant artist yourself! So, wanna show me something you've done?"

N blinked. "Huh? Oh, no, I'm not an artist, I just believe in drawing conclusions for yourself. It would be awful to force the artist's own truth on everyone else, wouldn't it?" Milly just squealed in response.

"You're amazing! Come with me, you're painting something for sure!" she shouted, dragging him to the back of the warehouse.

Touya stared after them unsure of what to do. On one hand, his best friend had just been effectively kidnapped. On the other, his kidnapper was a scary psycho woman. But, on the other hand, his best friend had just been effectively kidnapped. Making up his mind, Touya walked towards the back of the school, bracing himself for the coming storm.

"Uh, Milly?" Touya began. The young lady, who had been busy preparing an easel for N, paused to look at him. "Um… I just remembered, we were supposed to go challenge Lenora in five minutes. We need to go," he said, hoping N wouldn't try to object to this excuse.

Milly nodded. "That's alright! Why don't I come with you to watch? I'd love to see a master artist in a battle!"

Touya's heart sank. He had been _so_ close to getting them both off the hook, and now he'd have to actually take on Lenora, as did N. He just hoped N wouldn't kill him for this.

* * *

Watchog fell to the ground, unconscious for the second time that day. Lenora returned her to her Pokéball, smiling. "Well, it looks like you win," she said, offering Touya a Basic Badge. Touya accepted the Badge gratefully, excited that he had been able to take down the Gym Leader. Lily jumped up onto his leg, barking eagerly before a white glow overtook her.

Touya stumbled back, caught off guard, as she grew brighter and brighter, before he was forced to look away. When the light died down, he looked back to see that the small, puppy like frame had been changed into a larger, more muscled form.

"Awesome, your Lillipup evolved!" squealed Milly from the sidelines. N laughed in excitement, and Lenora nodded approvingly.

"You must be a great Trainer to get your Pokémon to evolve so quickly," Lenora said. "You definitely should keep moving with the League challenge. I would suggest your next step be–"

"LENORA!" shouted Hawes, her husband, as he ran into her stadium. The panic in his voice was enough to have everyone's attention. "Dear, come quickly! Team Plasma's threatening to steal some bones!"

"Team Plasma?" Touya shouted, trembling with rage. "I'll come along, then. I need to teach those bastards a lesson!"

N shook his head. "I guess I'd better come along," was all he said.

"Um… I should probably stay behind…" Milly said to no one in particular.

In the main entryway, some twenty something Plasma Grunts stood waiting for the Gym Leader.

"Now, listen here! Enough fooling around! What is the meaning of this?" she asked.

The apparent leader of the Grunts stepped forward. "So you've come, Gym Leader. Well, I'll tell you what we're up to. We, Team Plasma, claim this Dragon Skull in the name of Pokémon Liberation!" he cried as his fellow Grunts took the skull and ran.

"We have to go after them!" Touya shouted as he ran towards the exit in pursuit. Lenora followed close behind, while N brought up the rear.

* * *

They chased Team Plasma into Pinwheel Forest, where they lost the trail in the endless mazes. "Oh no, oh no, now what do we do?" groaned Touya, pacing back and forth like a madman.

"Don't worry, Touya, I'm sure the Pokémon can give us directions," N said reassuringly. "Hey there, have you seen some Team Plasma Grunts nearby? They are wearing a set of armor with the letter P on the front," N explained to a nearby Venipede, who hissed its response. N nodded. "This way, he said, running down a small side path.

They followed this path for about half an hour, dodging the occasional swarm of Venipede, until they reached the clearing where Team Plasma waited.

"Pursuers? People like you think you can beat us?" one of the Grunts asked incredulously.

N stomped his foot on the ground. "Cut the bullshit. You stole that skull, which had absolutely no value to you, just because you could. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" he said, sounding like an officer scolding his subordinates for improper behavior.

The Grunt gulped, seeming to realize he'd made a mistake. "Uh, I mean, I uh–"

"Return it. Now," N said, his voice scarily cold. The Plasma Grunt shivered.

"Yes sir!" he said, running off with his companions to return the skull. N turned to Touya.

"I'm going to go on ahead. We aren't actually all that far from Skyarrow Bridge, so I want to go ahead and get to Castellia City tonight. You coming?"

Touya nodded, looking down at his Pokémon, who nodded approvingly. "Let's go," he said, following N.

* * *

Skyarrow Bridge proved to be as impressive as everyone said it was, the great expanse of the bridge spanning the massive waterway between Pinwheel Forest and Castellia City. Thousands of trucks thundered across the lower level of the bridge, while the upper walkway was mostly deserted. That was to be expected, though, as the only ways on and off the bridge by foot were the forest and Castellia. Touya looked to N, wondering what his reaction was. N's face registered somewhere between awe and, for reasons Touya could only guess at, disgust.

"Touya," N began. Touya looked over quizzically. "I have some business I'll need to take care of in Castellia City. It's going to hold me up for a few days, so it might be best to split up once we reach the city."

Touya smiled. "I'd never leave you behind, N! You're our friend, and we don't leave friends behind," he said, his Pokémon crying out in agreement. N smiled.

"That reminds me," he said, whistling for his Pokémon. "It's time for us to part ways," he explained to the three, who whimpered sadly. "I know, I'll miss you too, but I want the best for you, and that's staying right where you are. No, I can't stay, I have things I need to do. I'll be alright, I'll meet new friends along the way, and besides," he added, glancing over at Touya, "Touya can protect me perfectly well." Admitting defeat, the three Pokémon scampered off to rejoin their friends.

"Do you do that every time you leave an area?" Touya asked, confused as to why N just released his Pokémon.

"It's bad to force my friends to leave everything behind," N said, as if it explained everything. Molly chittered in response.

N smiled. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that," he explained, smiling. "If you want to make that decision, then I'll respect that. But my Pokémon would have been lonely away from this area, so I made the decision to let them stay."

Molly chittered something else, grumbling. Touya shrugged. "I think we should let N make his own decisions. Now come on, we need to get going or we'll never reach Castellia in time," he said, leaving N's desire to split up to be discussed later.

* * *

When they crossed through the gateway to Castellia, Touya took a moment to stop and stare at the splendor of the city. It was easily the largest city in all of Unova, with skyscrapers that seemed to stretch on forever and a massive boat dock that could host an entire nation's navy fleet. Great signs were everywhere, advertising new bands (the new singer Roxie looked like she held promise), foreign candies such as the RageCandyBar, and other exciting products and activities. It was a huge commercial center, the largest in Unova, and even the rest of the world if the rumors were true. Touya had visited once before, when he was younger, but he didn't remember much of the city.

"It's so big…" Touya trailed off, noticing that N was trying to slip away. "Hey, wait!" he said, grabbing onto the green haired boy's sleeve. N looked back in annoyance.

"I told you already, I have something I have to do. _Alone,_" he told the other boy, shrugging out of his grasp and walking off. Touya stubbornly followed.

"What's the big deal, huh? What's such a big secret that you can't bring me along? Are you some kind of rock god with an urgent concert? Or maybe you run Rocket Corp, as some kind of CEO? Oh, I've got it," Touya said, his anger growing. "You're the king of Team Plasma!"

N looked at him blankly. "Don't be ridiculous, Touya," he said. "Come on, it's probably too late today anyways. Let's go get a room at the Pokémon Center."

Touya stopped, his anger gone in a second. What was N's deal? Why was he always pulling this bipolar attitude on him? One moment he'd be laughing right along with him, the next he'd be so quiet Touya wasn't sure if he'd become angry or just bored.

It was weird, for sure. He had to figure out what was going on.

* * *

N was beginning to get a little worried. Ghetsis would be waiting for him in Castellia, and he simply could not let Touya find out that he was the Team Plasma king yet. He wasn't sure why, but something told him that if he did, Touya wouldn't want to be around him anymore.

He almost stopped walking, realizing what he had just thought to himself. He wasn't supposed to sympathize with any humans, any at all! He had to get away from Touya, not for the sake of their friendship, but the need of a lack thereof.

He shook his head, trying to focus. Why was this so confusing?

* * *

**A/N: Milly – Ashford Academy student council president in Code Geass. In case anyone wanted to know.**

**If I had a buck for every time I misspelled "panic" while writing this, I would be too rich to want to continue this.**

**Sorry if this chapter feels a little rushed, I've been in a bad mood for a while, and kinda lost patience trying to write out any battle scenes. Would it make things up to you if I promised you guys battles galore in the next few chapters?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I'm sure you're tired of hearing it, 'cause I'm tired of saying it: I DON'T OWN POKEMON. OKAY? Okay.**

**Chapter 9: Castellian Shennanigans Begin**

* * *

After booking the last room in the Castellia Pokémon Center, Touya decided a remarkable way to make things up to N would be to go get ice cream. They had both said some rude things today, and he wanted to show N he forgave him.

"N," he started, cut off by the glare the other boy sent his way.

"What now, Touya?" N said, still in the less friendly mood he'd been in for a half hour now.

"Um… well… we've both… said some things we shouldn't have. So, I was thinking… how about we go get ice cream? I'll pay," he said. N considered it for a moment, then shrugged.

"I guess I don't have a problem with it. We are going to be stuck in each other's company for a little while anyways," the green haired boy said.

N and Touya sat on one of the piers at the Castellia docks, ice cream in hand. N seemed to have snapped out of his mood again, and the two sat and talked while Touya's Pokémon ran around, playing with each other and the wild Pokemon nearby. Every once in a while Touya would say something that would cause N to turn red and look away for a moment. Touya was curious as to what that was about, after all, he wasn't teasing N, not ever! He was absolutely unwilling to risk causing N to revert to his moody alter ego, or whatever it was.

"N," Touya said, not sure where his train of thought was going, "I… I just wanted to say thanks. For everything. You're the first person to stay with me for more than an hour, and I just… it means a lot to me, okay?"

N looked taken aback for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah… it's no problem."

Touya smiled, then had his attention redirected to a beeping on his watch. "Oh, we need to get back to the Center! Come on, guys!" he shouted at his Pokemon, who broke away reluctantly."

* * *

Touko walked into Castellia City early the next morning, eager to take on the Gym. She paused to check the map, when a deliveryman came running up to her.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Touko Grey?" the man inquired. Touko looked up, surprised, and nodded.

"Ah! I have a delivery for you. Here," he said, pulling a small, unmarked ticket from his bag and handing it to her. She inspected the bare ticket. The only word on it was "liberty".

"I have to run, I hope to see you again!" the deliveryman said as he scampered off. Touko considered the mysterious package before her again. It was certainly bizarre enough. There was no instruction on it whatsoever, just that word.

She thought for a minute. Touya might know something, she realized, pulling out her Xtransciever. She selected Touya's number, sending him a quick text.

_**I need to ask you something.**_ A few minutes later, her Xtransciever buzzed with a response.

_**What is it?**_ Touya asked.

_**I just got this ticket, but it's all weird. There's no return address, and the only thing on it is "Liberty". Any idea what it means?**_

_**No, but it would be helpful it I had a picture.**_ Touko complied, photographing the ticket and sending it to her brother.

She waited a few more minutes, when the Xtransciever rang. She picked it up, adjusting the camera so that Touya could see her.

"Touko, I don't have any idea what it's about, but N says it's important. I'm going to put him on the line," he said before disappearing from the video. A few seconds later, the mysterious boy from Accumula Town appeared.

"Listen very closely to what I'm about to say. Take this ticket you've received to Castellia City. Once you get there, head to the Liberty Pier. There is a large orange boat docked there, it's bound to be the center of gossip on the pier. Talk to the attendant there, show him the ticket. He'll ask you where you're headed. Listen very carefully to this part, because you will be shot if you do not give him the correct passphrase. You have to tell him, 'my destination is that of a garden where liberty awaits'. Write that down," he said, and Touko complied. "When the ship sets sail, _do not go below deck._ I don't know what goes on down there, but none who go down there during the voyage return sane. Beyond that, I can't say for sure what awaits you. It's different in every report. Be careful, Touko," he said, a touch of concern in his voice, "There are powerful forces at work here, and you're caught in the center. Oh, and don't even think of ignoring the ticket, you'll just end up dead," he finished before handing the Xtransciever bask to Touya.

"Um, well, I didn't realize N would react like that," Touya said, turning ever so slightly red, "So, yeah, sorry. Hey, I've gotta run, N's about to drag me by the earlobe to the art studio down the street. Good luck with your quest, or whatever it is," he said before hanging up.

Touko looked down at the ticket in her hand. _Powerful forces,_ she mused, her curiosity piqued. She decided to head to Liberty Pier, since she had plenty of time that particular day. Bianca and Cheren had gone on ahead, and as much as she'd wanted to go with them, she had been practically kidnapped by some art enthusiast back in Nacrene City who refused to let her go after she'd admitted to an interest in painting. Knowing she wouldn't be escaping anytime soon, she'd told her friends to go on without her. As a result, she was now the furthest behind in their journey.

She turned down onto Liberty Pier, and true to N's word, there was a large orange boat docked at the pier. She could hear the hushed whispers as she approached, whispers about how it was back and how it shouldn't be here, but ignored them. She had to know, for her sake, where this ship was headed.

Walking up to the man at the boat's side, she showed him the ticket. He lit up in recognition, asking her where she was headed.

"My destination is that of a garden where liberty awaits," she said, trying not to stutter. The man nodded, motioning for her to come aboard.

"Would you like to come below deck, milady? I hear there's a rough storm on the way to the island," the same man asked in monotone. Touko shook her head, remembering the warning N had given her.

"I'm a tough girl, I'll be fine," she said, smiling sweetly at the man, who blushed a little. This for some reason surprised Touko; after hearing N rant about certain peril, she half expected the crew of the boat to be soulless monsters.

"If you say so mistress. Should you change your mind you are always welcome below deck," he said, bowing and making a hasty retreat. Touko looked after him. _What does go on below deck? _She wondered. For a second, curiosity overtook her, but she shook her head. N had been right about everything so far. There was no reason to think that he was wrong about this.

Shaking her head, Touko looked out across the ocean. _What does await me at the end of all of this?_

* * *

"Hey Touya, look at this one!" N said, steering Touya to a massive painting, at least fifteen feet across and twice as tall, of a great black dragon. The great beast stood on two legs, whilst a pair of wings and a separate pair of arms protruded from the shoulder. The head was shaped similarly to a football, and its eyes were a blood red. Touya had the feeling he would never want to face this creature in battle, and Roggs chirped his agreement.

N paid them no attention. "Just look at the detail!" he exclaimed, gushing over the subtle differences in the various shades of black and dark grey used in the legs alone, and how they changed in the different parts of the dragon.

_Milly was right in naming him an artist,_ he mused, hoping that the two of them could hurry up and get out of there.

As it would happen, he had no such luck. Molly became entranced before long as well, and somewhere along the way Lily had also wandered off. Touya wondered if Roggs was only still with him because he carried the rock type in his arms. N continued to scour the museum in search of other works featuring the black dragon, so he was of no use tracking the Pokémon down.

"Excuse me, but does she by any chance belong to you?" asked an unfamiliar voice behind him. Touya glanced back, surprised to see another boy his age in the city. The youth had striking green eyes and medium length brown hair, and looked as though he did everything with a naïve grin on his face. He looked down and saw at the boy's feet that Lily had been following him.

"First off, she does not 'belong' to me. She is my friend and companion, but she is not my possession. Second, as I said, she is my companion, and I was beginning to worry about her. Thank you," he said, beckoning Lily over. The canine obeyed, but seemed sad to leave the other boy.

The boy grinned. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, well, she's a Pokémon, and it's normal to speak like that. My name's Suzaku, by the way," he said, offering his hand. "Suzaku Kururugi."

Touya shook the boy's hand. "Touya," he said. "Touya Grey."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Touya," said Suzaku. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stick around a while. Your Herdier is interesting, and I'd like to get to know her Trainer."

Touya hesitated. One the one hand, Lily seemed to have gotten along with this boy well. On the other hand, he had referred to her as property, which he had a hard time moving past.

One look at the Herdier was all it took. She had so much excitement in her eyes, underneath which was a hidden threat. _Say no and you'll find something unpleasant in your shoe tomorrow morning._

"Yeah, fine. Oh, have you seen a guy with long green hair? I'm supposed to be traveling with him, but he wandered off and now I can't find him," he said at last.

Suzaku nodded. "I've seen him somewhere around. Come on, let's go find him," he said, taking off down the mostly empty hallways of the art gallery at an impossibly fast speed.

"Suzaku, wait!" Touya shouted as he ran after the other boy. Even sprinting at top speed, the Trainer could barely keep up, a new experience for him. No one had ever been able to outrun him before, and he had a feeling Suzaku was deliberately holding back, deliberately slowing down for Touya's sake.

Suddenly, Suzaku skidded to a halt. Touya, unable to stop in time, crashed right into him, and the two boys went tumbling to the ground.

"Oof. Sorry," apologized Touya, who was currently trapped underneath the other boy.

"Touya? What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice. Touya looked up, grateful to see N at last, even if it was in this… awkward position.

"Uh… looking for you?" Touya replied, aware that Suzaku hadn't moved yet. "Uh, Suzaku? Do you mind?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Sorry," said the green eyed boy as he scrambled to his feet. Touya stood more slowly, still gasping for breath.

"Um… right. Anyways, Molly and I are about ready to go. We'll leave when you're ready. Or would you prefer to go now?" asked the taller boy. Touya nodded.

Out on the open street, Touya took a deep breath. "Arceus, it was stuffy in there," he muttered.

N shot him a glare. "Don't take the name of Arceus in vain," he said bitterly.

"Right. Sorry," Touya said.

"Hey, how about we go check out the Battle Company over there?" asked Suzaku. Touya had forgotten the odd teen was still with them. Well, Touya supposed he wasn't _that_ odd, knowing N.

"Ugh. No thanks. Go on without me," said N. Suzaku nodded, grabbing Touya by the wrist and dragging the unfortunate boy along towards the skyscraper. His Pokémon followed with concern.

* * *

N watched the two teens go, grateful for the distraction Suzaku provided. The athlete would certainly keep Touya busy long enough for N to report in the Ghetsis.

"And it's not even noon," N remarked with pleasure. He could be in and out and keep going. He'd have to defeat the Castellia Gym across the street before he left, but he figured that he could be gone by the end of the day.

He picked his way through the city, taking a couple backstreets as shortcuts. He nearly got mugged in the process, but the local Pidove were friendly, and he was able to escape while they provided a distraction for him.

At last he walked into the Plasma offices across the street from the Gym. That was a bonus, he could be gone that much quicker if he didn't have to track down the Gym afterwards.

Ghetsis was there to greet him. "Lord N," he said, taking a deep bow in the presence of his king. The other Team Plasma members in the room mimicked him. N dismissed the bows with a wave of his hand.

"Please," he said as they rose, "do not bow. I am king of little yet, and for quite some time that shall not change."

"Be that as it may, you are still our king, and it is important to treat a king with the respect he deserves," Ghetsis said coolly. "Now come. The Seven Sages await your presence."

* * *

The weather stayed clear for the duration of Touko's voyage, despite the mysterious man's warnings of storms. At last, a small island came into view, most notable for the lighthouse that stood at the center.

When they docked and Touko disembarked, she was startled to see some more of Team Plasma in their plastic armor milling about on the island. One of them noticed Touko and walked over. "Hey girlie, get lost, we're busy here," he sneered.

"Busy with what?" Touko shot back. If there was one thing she hated, it was being called girlie. Sure, maybe Bianca was tougher when she was enraged, but she was more than capable of holding her own.

"We're busy freeing a Pokémon on this island," the Grunt replied. "Now, get lost."

"I don't think so," snarled Touko, pulling out Oshawott's Pokéball. "I know who you are. You're a lot of thieves. And Arceus damn me if you're not up to something fishy here."

The Grunt smirked. "Well, well, well. Looks like we've got ourselves a Trainer. Allow me to liberate your Pokémon for you," he said, releasing a Sandile.

* * *

"My, my, you _are _a powerful Trainer," remarked the janitor (CEO) at the top of the Battle Company building. "Here. This is an Experience Share," he said, offering Touya a small collar. "Put it on a Pokémon, and it learns just like it had been in the battle."

"Wow, Touya!" exclaimed Suzaku, who had watched the Trainer battle his way up the skyscraper. "You could raise _anything_ with that!" he said. Touya grinned.

"Hey, why don't we go visit the fountain in the main square? It'd be nice to just get away from everything for a moment," Touya suggested. Suzaku nodded.

They found a bench away from the general bustle of the city, where they could have a moment of peace. Touya put Roggs down and let his Pokémon run around while he just took a break. Suzaku nudged him gently, and he looked up.

"It's been fun, hanging around with you today. I had a great time. Uh, if you don't mind, I have something I need to tell you." The other teen looked apprehensive suddenly, a new look for him. Touya wondered what brought it on.

"Sure, what is it?"

"It's just that, erm, I mean, what I'm trying to um, say, is, well… Imgay," he blurted out. "I'm gay. I'm attracted to guys."

"Cool," Touya said, and he meant it. He honestly didn't have a problem with it. He was imperfect, was it truly his place to judge?

"Really?" asked Suzaku, as though he couldn't believe it. "You don't have a problem with it?" he asked. Touya shrugged.

"Why should I?" he asked. Suzaku shrugged.

"I just… I had a friend, once. My best friend, actually. When I told him, he… didn't take it so well," he said, staring into space. Touya put a hand on his new friend's shoulder.

"I'm… sorry, Suzaku. I really am. I know what it's like, to be… rejected, kinda, but… I'm sorry."

Suzaku nodded. "It's… not pleasant. I felt betrayed, kinda. It hurt. A lot. Arceus, what was I thinking? I was such an idiot!"

"It wasn't your fault, Suzaku. He made his choice, and now he's missing out on someone special," Touya said, hugging the other boy close.

Suzaku looked up at Touya, eyes filled with hope. "Really?" he asked. Touya nodded.

"Suzaku, you're sweet, you're funny, you're caring, and you're cute. Any boy would be lucky to have you," he said.

"Suzaku?"

Touya and Suzaku looked up to see another teen their age standing before them. He was a touch taller than Touya, with medium length black hair and striking purple eyes.

"Le- Lelouch!" Suzaku said, jumping up. He motioned as if he was about to hug the other boy, then hesitated. Seeing this, Lelouch pulled Suzaku the rest of the way into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Suzaku. I shouldn't have run from you. I just… I was scared," the purple eyed boy confessed. Suzaku stared at him in shock.

"Scared? But… I thought…"

"I'm sorry Suzaku. If I had the courage… can we sit down somewhere?" Lelouch asked, looking fearful. Suzaku nodded, then realized he was neglecting Touya.

"Touya… I need to go… I'll see you around sometime, alright?" he said, kissing Touya on the cheek before walking away.

Touya watched them go. _I get the feeling that that he didn't tell me the full story,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

Touko stepped into the darkened lighthouse, having beaten all the Grunts outside to submission. None of them followed her, looking as if they couldn't enter the lighthouse. Surprisingly, no one was inside to block her path to the room at the bottom.

She stopped at the door. Emblazoned on the massive wooden frame was the standard Team Plasma insignia, but this one was different. In addition to the standard letter P, a letter V was barely observable behind the letter. Furthermore, the insignia protruded from the door in layers, expertly done so that the whole thing appeared to be burning. Shuddering, Touko considered turning back, but something told her that turning back now would be a huge mistake. Gathering her courage, she pushed open the massive door.

* * *

**A/N: Surprise cliffhanger! I was originally going to keep going, but I figured you guys could use an update. And yes, Suzaku and Lelouch are Code Geass characters. I might or might not write a spinoff of this that tells their whole story here.**

**Gah, Touya's character is so hard to write sometimes. I hope he's staying fairly consistent to you guys.**

**Wow, Liberty Garden took a dark turn! I'll be honest, that wasn't meant to happen, but I needed an excuse to explain why the ticket showed up. The whole secret will be revealed next chapter. Stay tuned, my rainbows!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: ION (I own nothing) (of Hydrogen (I'm bad at chemistry (but that's not relevant (but what are you doing then (I DON'T KNOW)))))**

…

**Why are you guys brandishing those bricks threateningly?**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Curious and Curiouser**

Touya stared at the wall in front of him. As far as he could tell, the wall was a collection of paintings, with a giant display of… honey? Yeah, that was definitely honey decorating the center of the wall. Something was seriously wrong with this Burgh person.

Speaking of which, where _was_ the mysterious Gym Leader? There was nowhere else in the room he could be, and according to the schedule outside the Gym was supposed to be open right now.

"Heh, you don't know the trick, do you? No one does, when they first come here."

Touya turned around, surprised to see the guide from the Striaton Gym strolling into the Gym.

"You're the guy from Striaton City, aren't you?" he asked.

The man grinned. "The name's Clyde. Sorry I missed you back in Nacrene, I was otherwise occupied. Anyways, to get to the Gym Leader, you have to think like a Combee!" he put in helpfully.

"A Combee?" Touya said to himself, thinking of the foreign Pokémon. "Then that means… oh, no…"

"Oh, yes," Clyde grinned. Roggs chirped in confusion.

* * *

Layers upon layers of dust flew out, covering Touko from head to foot as the massive door swung open.

"Ugh, why does this have to be happening to me and not Touya?" she muttered to herself, coughing as she stepped inside the room. She took in her surroundings, noting the cramped nature of the room. It was covered in layers of dust, but otherwise appeared as though the occupants had stepped out for a moment and would be right back. The desk was strewn with papers and books, looking for all the world like a college student's workspace. A small bed was shoved up against one wall, with red and beige sheets and pillows perfectly made. What may have been a rug of a similar color scheme has long since been buried under the dust, which has collected in drifts across the floor.

Touko approached the desk, perusing the various titles. Many were ancient variants on modern studies of Lillipup and Patrat, among other common Pokémon. _How dull,_ Touko thought to herself. _I survive a trial of possible death for a bunch of dusty children's science books?_

Suddenly, a new title caught her attention. _Field Observations on Victini and the Victory Star Trials?_ Touko picked up the book and began reading.

"_In the War of Unova, it is common knowledge that Reshiram and Zekrom battled with their near godlike powers, razing most of Unova to the ground, and that the mythical Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion were responsible for the saving of most of the Pokémon caught in the conflict. While no one knows what became of these Pokemon, I have discovered the hiding place of a little known hero of the time, Victini._

"_Victini is sometimes referred to as the Victory Pokémon, as it has the power to turn the tides of any battle in its master's favor. It is a Fire and Psychic type, with a generally timid personality. However, it has immense strength, and defends its friends and master without hesitation._

"_Not much is known about the role Victini played in the war. It is possible that it lent its power to Zekrom to help it create the world as we know it today. Another theory is that there was a third faction, lost to the passages of time, that fought with Victini as its supporting legend. They may have won the war, turning both Reshiram and Zekrom back into the respective stones, and then erased all records of their existence._

"_Regardless of its role, Victini chose to retreat to the Lostlorn Forest after the war, where it presumably intended to live out its days in peace. Alas, given its powers, such a fate would be impossible._

"_This is where I enter the story. I was fortunate enough to come across Victini on a stroll through the forest. While I did not recognize what is was immediately, I was smart enough to recognize its immense power, and captured it myself._

"_This was a mistake._

"_While it was fortunate that I had been the one to capture it, it was still an immensely powerful Pokémon, that, as I learned, was a power of an ancient age. Its power could not go unnoticed, even if it never battled. Many thieves and hunters came to steal Victini, until I realized that there was only one way to protect it: I had to hide Victini away from the world until I could find it a suitable champion to control it and look after it._

"_The problem, of course, was in how to go about hiding it. There was no place in Unova that would allow it to live undisturbed. The only place that no one has visited in thousands of years is the Palace of the Kings, but that place has long since been submerged except for a lone tower rising from the depths of the lake._

"_Then, the solution came to me: I had to create a new reality in which Victini could be guarded by the trials that would allow only a true champion worthy of Victini's immense power to enter. With the aid of my Pokémon, I created a pocket of reality that serves as a proving grounds for Victini's potential champion._

"_This proving ground is different for each who visits it, adjusting itself to be suited for each individual the grounds, which I have named the Liberty Garden, summon forth as potential champions._

"_The consequences of failure are harsh, usually resulting in madness or death. This is a tragic necessity, for should the Garden choose an unworthy champion by accident, the Garden would be in terrible danger, as would Victini._

"_No, for no matter how awful it may seem, I did this for Victini's protection. Had I allowed it to stay by my side, it would have inevitable been used for evil, and the world as we know it would be lost._

"_My name is Julius Giovanni. History will not remember me. I leave my mark here, that whoever reads this may know of the mark I made on the world."_

Touko stared at the pages in front of her, unable to believe what she was reading for a number of reasons. Mainly, she was shocked that she had been chosen by the Liberty Garden somehow to potentially meet an unheard of legend. However, she was also filled with outrage that this man had felt self justified that he thought it was his place to seal away a free spirit without giving it a say in the matter.

A rustling to her side caught her attention, and she saw that what she had mistaken for a pillow was now rising.

* * *

N walked into the meeting room, where the sages sat awaiting his presence. They rose as he entered.

"Lord N," they said in unison.

N waved his hand. "Be seated," he said. "We have urgent matters to discuss."

The sages obeyed as N himself took a seat at the table.

"Now, the first thing I want to address is who decided to steal the dragon skull from Nacrene City. While we want to resurrect one of the legendary dragons, we need to be quiet about it, or we'll end up like Team Rocket did in the Kanto region.

The sages nodded, and N took that as his prompt to continue. "By stealing the skull, the members of Team Plasma responsible attracted large amounts of unwanted attention upon the entire organization. I do not think that the situation got so far out of hand as to tarnish our reputation beyond repair, but news of this act will spread, and people will be less open to our ideals. Therefore, I would assume that we should punish those responsible."

At this point Ghetsis interrupted. "I would recommend the culprit among us come clean now, that he may preserve his honor," the sage said icily.

Hesitantly, Gorm spoke up. "It was my fault, Lord N. I had thought that the dragon skull belonged to one of the dragons, as none of them know what they looked like. By the time I realized my error, the team I sent to steal the skull had gone too far."

N fixated his stare upon Gorm, allowing the man to squirm under his gaze. He hated to do this, hated to submit another to suffering in the slightest, but the thought of what Ghetsis might do to him otherwise was enough to get himself under control.

"It's decided, then," he said at last. "Gorm is to be sent back to the castle, where he will serve as an administrator until further notice, effective immediately."

Gorm nodded slowly. "As you wish, my lord," he said with a hint of sadness and guilt in his voice. He rose and left without saying anything else.

N watched him go, heart torn in half by the judgment he had passed upon Gorm. Collecting himself inwardly, he spoke, cool as ever. "Now, I believe that the matter at hand is that of the legendary dragons?"

Rood nodded. "We have decided, Lord N. The best course of action would be to resurrect Zekrom, the one who created Unova. People will be drawn to the name, as he triumphed over his counterpart to create the region. As for how to resurrect him, we need the Dark Stone. Alas, its location has been lost to the passages of time."

"Well, there has to be some idea where it might be. Does anyone here have any ideas on where it could be?"

There was a silence in the room. Finally, Zinzolin spoke up.

"Lord N," he began hesitantly, "there may be a chance that the Abyssal Ruins are home to the Dark Stone. It is rumored that the Light Stone was hidden at the Relic Castle, and that it was buried with sand not long after.

"I have a theory – a guess, really – that the Abyssal Ruins sank at about the same time. If that is true, it is possible that there is a connection between the two places."

"And you think this connection was the dragons?"

"It is a very remote possibility, Lord N, but it is better than nothing."

"If that is the case, what are we waiting for? Giallo, take some of the Grunts and get to Undella Town! And for the sake of Pokémon Liberation, don't draw any attention to yourselves!"

"Lord N, are you certain this is a measure you wish to take? As Zinzolin has said, there is a very slim chance that there is a connection, and this expedition could vastly reduce our resources for an extended time period," Ghetsis said, his voice bearing a slight touch of concern. N knew that the concern wasn't for him – it was for Team Plasma's precious resources. N nodded.

"This is something we need to do. I have a feeling there's a connection here. Besides, even if there's not, the Abyssal Ruins still hold vast amounts of treasure that would more than make up for any expenses. We will look into the ruins."

Ghetsis nodded, drawing his mouth into a thin line. "As you wish, milord."

* * *

Touya emerged from the wall covered from head to foot in honey. This had to be one of the worst days he had gone though in a while. Even his Pokémon had been returned to their Pokéballs to spare them the suffering of honey covered walls.

"Ugh," he grumbled. "Why couldn't this have happened to Touko?"

"What, are you not a fan of the bugs?"

The speaker was very effeminate, with curly brown hair that reached down to his shoulders and a slender body shape. His voice, while loud, was not as deep as it could have been, and could've been mistaken for a woman's voice. Touya stared for a moment before regaining his composure.

"Hey, you're Burgh, aren't you? My name is Touya and I challenge you to a battle!"

Burgh sighed, shaking his head. "Young Trainers these days, are they all barbarians? Very well then, let's have a battle!"

* * *

Castellia city was nice enough, Bianca decided, but she preferred the quieter country town she'd grown up in. She wasn't sure she could take the constant bustle here. Clerks rushed this way and that, and cars streaked down the roads at almost illegal speeds. Flashing lights attempted to outshine each other, and various vendors competed for her attention. Bianca was amazed anyone could stand this kind of life.

"Bianca!" shouted Cheren, hurrying towards her. He caught up, doubling over and gasping for breath. "How… nice… to see… you here!" he managed between gasps. He pushed himself upright, straightening his glasses. "Have you heard from Touko?"

Bianca shook her head. "She texted me with something about a ticket, but it didn't really make sense. I'm not sure what she's up to."

Cheren nodded. "Alright, then. Would you care to battle, by any chance?"

Bianca shook her head. "I'm sorry, not right now. I want to go see the sights!"

"Really? You seem to hate it here."

"Well, that doesn't mean I can't check out some of the main attractions! There's this art gallery I've been wanting to check out. I think I'll start there."

Cheren blinked, then shrugged. "Alright, then. I guess I'll come with you."

* * *

The "pillow" stood up, stretching, allowing Touko to get a good look at it. It was small and rodent like, though its large ears were in the shape of a V, nearly doubling its height. Small wings shaped like tails fluttered sleepily, and it stood, ears included, at around a foot high. It opened its bright blue eyes, and chattered in confusion, as if it didn't quite register where it was. When it saw Touko, it shouted and dove under the covers. Touko blinked in surprise, realizing that it had likely mistaken Touko for a thief. She stepped hesitantly over to the bed, tentatively sitting on the edge.

"Hey, come on out, I'm not gonna hurt you," she whispered reassuringly at the quivering lump of blankets that was Victini. A small burst of flame shot out and hit her on the hand in response. "Ow!" she exclaimed, clutching her injured hand. "You're a feisty one, huh? That's alright," she smiled, "I don't blame you. You've met some bad people in your life."

A loud thump sounded from the upper floor of the lighthouse. Touko shot up, instantly alert. Something wasn't right. Pulling out Dewott's Pokéball, she cautiously approached the massive double doors.

* * *

**A/N: I'm really getting into this Victini thing. Sorry this chapter took so long, hopefully I can get the next one up quicker.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm don't even own the creativity to come up with something clever or punny this time.**

**A/N: I'm so sorry, please forgive me! I really did want to get this up quickly, but a lot of stuff just piled up on me. I totally understand if you totally lost interest by this point. On the other hand, this chapter's got some pretty intense content, so hopefully it was worth the wait.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Shocking Revelations and Desperate Struggles**

As Bianca walked out of the museum, she bumped into an oncoming business man, knocking her to the ground and sending her Pokéballs everywhere. While the man rushed by without a word, Bianca scrambled to collect her Pokémon and return them to her belt.

She looked around, worried. Munna was still missing. Suddenly, she spotted her Pokéball through the crowd. Bianca scrambled for it, but was too late. A passing Plasma grunt had picked up the Pokeball and pocketed it.

"Hey! Give that back!" she shouted, getting the grunt's attention. The grunt turned, saw who had addressed him, and bolted like a bat out of hell. Bianca wasted no time giving chase, parting the crowds with unbelievable force. The grunt, realizing she was closing in, ran faster than before, swiftly losing her out by one of the piers.

Realizing she had lost him, Bianca sank to her knees, sobbing. Her precious Munna was gone just like that. So unbelievably quick, events had conspired to keep her from ever seeing Munna again. The poor Pokemon must be scared out of her wits by now, and there was nothing Bianca could do to help her.

"Bianca!" Cheren ran up to her. "I saw the whole thing. Are you alright? No, of course you aren't, stupid question," he said, dropping down to embrace her. He held her as she sobbed, pulling out Purrloin's Pokeball and releasing the Pokemon. "Find Touya," he instructed the Pokemon as he ran off into the city to obey.

* * *

"Alright Roggs, time to finish this! Use Rock Blast, now!"

"Don't hold anything back! Scoliopede, Struggle Bug!"

Even as Scoliopede rushed forwards to strike, the battle was already over. With a final barrage of stony projectiles, Roggs beat Scoliopede into unconsciousness.

"Scoliopede, return!" Burgh said, calling the unconscious Pokémon back to him. "Well, that was a glorious battle, was it not?" he called to Touya. "Anyways, congratulations! I'd say you've definitely earned this!" he said, tossing something shiny in the direction of the Trainer.

As it happened, Touya missed the catch, but fortunately for him Molly was there to bail him out. He scratched her behind the ear as he took the Insect badge from her, placing it in his badge case beside the other two badges he'd earned.

Just then, Lily started barking, startling Touya. He turned to see what had riled Lily up to find… Cheren's Purrloin?

"Cheren's looking for me?" he asked the Pokemon, who mewed his affirmative. Touya sighed. "He probably wants a battle. Oh well. Better go face him before he grows impatient."

* * *

The massive doors swung open faster than Touko would've thought possible, revealing a wrinkled, ancient looking old man using a cane for support.

"Ah," he said, "I must thank you for clearing those pesky thieves out of here. Such a bothersome bunch, meddling in powers they don't understand. I trust you are prepared to turn Victini over?" he asked.

Touko stepped between him and the bed. Everything this man had said had seemed benevolent, but something felt off. "And just who do you think you are?" she asked.

The man smiled. "Why, dear girl, surely you recognize the great Julius Giovanni," he said. "Now, step aside so that my dear Victini and I can be together again."

Touko remained unfazed. "How do you plan to keep it safe then?"

Giovanni hesitated. "What do you mean, girl?" he asked.

"You said it yourself in your observations. Victini has to be kept safe. What could possibly have happened to change your abilities to protect it?"

Giovanni sighed. "I was hoping to do this the easy way, girl, but it seems you want to make this complicated. You brought this upon yourself," he said, reaching for the Pokeball at his belt. "Go," he said simply, and the Pokeball opened, revealing a doglike Pokemon of yellow color. It had black lightning patterns on it's sides, giving it a tigerlike appearance. On it's back sat what appeared to be a stormcloud. Touko had only seen it's likeness in pictures and textbooks.

"R – Raikou?" she gasped.

Giovanni smiled. "Thunder," he said simply. Raikou roared, and a massive bolt of lightning hit the spot where Touko had been standing just a split second ago.

"Dewott, we have to stop that thing!" she shouted, throwing the Pokeball into the air. Dewott popped out, a look of fear in his eyes when he saw Raikou.

"Again."

This time, the bolt of lightning was directed at Dewott, who barely got out of the way in time.

"We have to stay on our toes, Dewott! Aqua Jet!"

"Thunder!"

Moving at lightning speed, Dewott shot forward past Raikou's attack, slamming into it's side. Raikou, however, seemed unfazed by the blow, launching another attack, again barely dodged.

"Again."

Again, Raikou attacked, and again, Dewott dodged with Aqua Jet.

"Again."

Raikou bounded right in front of Dewott, unleashing Thunder at a point blank range. Still, Dewott was barely faster, scoring a third hit on the legendary beast.

A vein bulged in Giovanni's forehead. "Raikou, enough with the games! Thunder Fang!" he shouted.

"Stun it with Water Pulse!" Touko shouted.

Chirping his affirmative, Dewott took careful aim and blasted the Water Pulse right as Raikou was bearing down on him, stunning the larger Pokemon.

"Now use Razor Shell!" Touko commanded, Dewott being happy to comply. He delivered a critical blow to Raikou, staggering the beast.

Giovanni was rapidly growing angrier, suddenly deciding that this little game had gone on long enough. "Raikou, end this!"

This time, Raikou wasn't aiming for Dewott. It aimed for Touko. Seeing this, Dewott switched directions suddenly, throwing himself between Touko and Raikou right as the attack launched. Dewott was struck full force by the attack.

"Dewott!"

* * *

At last Purrloin returned, with both Touya and, surprisingly, Burgh, in tow.

"Bianca!" Touya exclaimed, seeing his friend's despair.

"Team Plasma stole her Munna. We have to get it back," Cheren said.

"Team Plasma? Aren't they the ones in the plastic knight uniforms?" Burgh asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, it just so happens that they have a 'secret' hideout right across from the Gym."

"Hey, what's going on?" asked a new voice from behind the group. The speaker was a dark skinned female with remarkable purple hair.

"Hello, Iris. This young lady's Pokemon was stolen," Burgh said.

Iris gasped. "Oh, no! Is there anything we can do?"

"I believe Touya and Cheren here were about to go try to get it back from their hideout. Touya's earned my badge, so the three of us should be able to handle it."

"Okay, then. I'll stay here and be her bodyguard in case anyone tries to steal from her again."

"Thank you," Cheren said before running off in the direction of the Gym, Touya and Burgh following.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, they were met with resistance at the door to the hideout.

"No one's here, not a soul! No other Team Plasma members, or any of the Seven Sages are inside. If you think I'm lying, how about we have a battle and find out?" one of the Grunts at the doorway challenged. Touya nodded, and was stepping back to give Lily some room when a green blur slammed into all three of the Grunts. In seconds, Bianca rendered them all unconscious, rushing into the building to reclaim her Munna.

Iris came running up then. "Sorry! I told her where you guys were headed and she just flew off the handle. But it looks like you guys haven't had any trouble yet!"

"No, we haven't," Cheren said. "I suppose we should hurry up and head inside to make sure Bianca doesn't cause any permanent damage."

Inside, a group of Grunts cowered in the corner whilst Bianca held another of their number in a headlock in the center of the room. Ghetsis and two other Sages looked on from near the elevator, stunned.

"Give me back my Munna or I'll peel your dick like a banana!" Bianca threatened.

"Okay, okay!" the captive Grunt shouted. "Here's your Munna, just please let me go!" he said, fumbling for his belt. The Pokeball snapped off and rolled onto the floor. Bianca released the Grunt, who fell to the floor before scrambling to the relative safety of the other Grunts in the corner.

"Munna," Bianca whispered, releasing the Pokemon from her ball. "I was so worried about you. I'm glad you're safe," she said, hugging the Pokemon close.

Burgh cleared his throat. "So, Ghetsis, what would you say is the guiding principle of Team Plasma, anyways? 'Take what you want from people'?"

One of the Sages turned to Ghetsis, ignoring Burgh's question. "I thought it would be amusing to prepare a hideout in front of a Pokemon Gym, but we were detected more quickly then I had imagined."

Ghetsis nodded. "Indeed. No matter, however. We already have an exceptional base of operations."

He looked over at the assembled Trainers and Gym Leader. "Is everyone here familiar with the legend of the founding of the Unova region?"

Iris raised her hand excitedly. "I am! It's the black Dragon type Pokemon, right!"

Ghetsis looked pleased. "The truth is this: the black dragon appeared before a hero who sought an ideal way to knit together a world of warring people. This black Dragon-type Pokémon shared its knowledge – and bared its fangs at those who stood against it. Together, the power of this Pokémon and the hero brought unity to the hearts of everyone in the land, and that is how Unova was created. We shall bring back the hero and that Pokémon to Unova once again! If we can win people's hearts and minds, we can easily create the world that I-I mean, Team Plasma-desires!"

Burgh frowned. "Here in Castelia, we have a lot of different kinds of people. Everyone's ways of thinking and lifestyles are very different. Honestly, there's something about what you're saying I don't quite understand," he said. The Grunts began murmuring amongst themselves, surprised that anyone would have a hard time understanding their goal.

"One thing we all have in common is that we all care a lot about Pokémon. Even meeting for the first time people can talk about Pokémon. Talk or battle or trade... Remember your speech at Accumula Town? You were responsible for leading me to rethink my relationship with Pokémon. For that, I thank you. At that time, I made a promise... I swore to myself that I would dedicate myself to Pokémon even more strongly! What you guys are doing... Aren't you going to strengthen the bond between people and Pokémon even more?"

Ghetsis looked caught off guard for a moment, but quickly composed himself. "Myah-ha-ha-ha! You are quite hard to figure out-a little more intelligent than I'd expected. I am fond of intelligent people, you see. You'll enjoy hearing about this... From every corner of the world, I have gathered knowledgeable people for our king's benefit. You could call them the Seven Sages. Very well! We will submit to your opinion and be on our way. The friendship between Pokémon and people can be very touching. But, in order to liberate Pokémon from foolish people, we will revive the legend of Unova-and win the hearts and minds of everyone. Farewell..."

And with that, Team Plasma filed out of the building.

"You're just gonna let them go?" Iris half demanded, half screamed.

"What would we do about the other stolen Pokemon? We wouldn't be able to find the base they were talking about, and they sure wouldn't cooperate with us," Burgh explained. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the Gym."

"I should get going, too," Cheren said. "I still need to get the Insect Badge," he said, following Burgh out of the lobby.

"Well, Bianca, what do you want to do?" Iris asked before an uncomfortable silence could descend on the remaining Trainers.

"Ah, well, I was going to go see the sights, but I'm worried something else might happen," Bianca said quietly.

Iris grinned. "No problem! I'll just keep being your bodyguard! Let's go!" she shouted, taking Bianca by the hand and dragging the surprised older girl outside.

With their departure, Touya was left in the lobby with his Pokemon. He looked around for a moment. Not having much time before now to look around, Touya found that he had missed the marble floors, ornate rugs and paintings, and the all around wealthy feel of the lobby. That this was clearly just a front, a false hideout, spoke volumes about the resources Team Plasma had access to.

The elevator chimed, and Touya was already giving Molly the hand signals for an attack pattern when the doors opened and someone stepped out.

It was N.

* * *

**A/N: Cue the dramatic music! Honestly, thanks for sticking it out this long, I promise the next chapter will come sooner, so you won't have to wait so long to see what happens. Anyways, I'm sorry it's taking so long, and I'm sorry the Isshushipping is taking forever to get to, but I have a surprise ship in store for the next chapter, and I promise you're going to enjoy it! (pst - feel free to guess at it in your reviews)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. I still don't have a witty way of saying it.**

**A/N: I just want to reassure my concerned readers that Touko isn't going to become ridiculously overpowered because of Victini. I can't spoil the details, but I can tell you she will have her own limits.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: The Chapter the Doesn't Have a Clever Title**

"T –Touya?" N asked. He couldn't believe it. After all this hard work to keep his position in Team Plasma hidden, Touya just waltzes in and finds the truth as easily as one would find a Zubat.

"N," Touya said, trembling. "You, you're one of them, aren't you?"

N sighed. "Touya, I'm sorry you had to find – "

"YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF, WORKING WITH A BUNCH OF PETTY THIEVES?" Touya shouted, interrupting. N flinched, and saw the tears in the other boy's eyes.

"I can't believe you, N," Touya continued in a more subdued voice. "You make me sick."

With that, Touya turned and ran out of the building.

N sat down on one of the nearby couches and held his face in his hands. Now what? The only person to have tried to befriend him had been scared off, and he didn't have his Pokemon with him to comfort him. He needed Zorua. Zorua had always known how to comfort him, how to help him make the best of a situation. But Zorua was at the Plasma Castle, too far away to be of any use.

N blinked, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears. Touya was angry with him, and would probably never speak to him again, and it was all N's fault. N had been the one to let it slip that he was a Team Plasma member, had allowed Touya to become upset like that. It was his fault, and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

'_HOW COULD YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF, WORKING WITH A BUNCH OF PETTY THIEVES?'_

"Petty thieves? Is that all he sees us as?" N asked the empty room, finally collapsing into incoherent sobbing.

* * *

Touya ran as fast as he could away from the building, not caring that he was leaving his Pokemon behind. Nothing mattered, not anymore. The one human being who had ever paid attention to him simply because they enjoyed his company was a petty Pokemon thief. He probably had never really been his friend, he had probably just been plotting to steal his Pokemon all this time. How could he have been so stupid? Of course nobody really liked him. He was always meant to be the even one out.

He finally came to a secluded section of the Castellia park, where no one but the wild Pidove would bother him. He sat down on a park bench, and succumbed to his tears.

At length, he composed himself, though his Pokemon were still nowhere to be seen. He remembered that he wasn't completely alone. There was still one person who liked talking to him. Fumbling for his Xtransceiver, he dialed the number and waited.

After a few rings, an image of Undella town's beach came into view, with his cousin's face framed in the center.

"Hey Touya! What's going – oh, no, Touya, what happened?" Kyouhei asked, seeing the face of his older cousin.

"Kyouhei," Touya began, trying not to get choked up again, "What would you do if someone you trusted betrayed you?"

"Oh, well, um…" Kyouhei said, clearly not sure what Touya meant. "I guess I'd stop hanging around them, unless they did something to redeem themselves. Touya, please tell me what happened, so I can help."

"It's… complicated," Touya said. "I guess… well, there's this boy… and well, we were really close. Like, I felt comfortable around him, in a way that only you can. Like a friend. And, he did… something… that made me realize he isn't very trustworthy and oh Arceus Kyouhei what am I going to do? You're my only friend left, I don't know what to do!"

"Touya, please, calm down, it's going to be okay. I'm right here, I'm here for you, please, it's going to be okay," Kyouhei said in as soothing a tone as he could manage. It worked, and Touya was able to avoid breaking down again. "Please, you're on a Trainer journey now, right? You need to press on. You have Pokemon with you that need you as much as you need them, and right now you're not in any shape to help them. Please, Touya, they need you. _I _need you to keep going. Just press on, you can stay with me as long as you need when you get here, but please keep going. You can do this, you're strong enough to, and you'll get through this, I promise."

"Kyouhei," Touya said, letting a smile come across his face for a second. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Kyouhei blushed. "Well, I'm not all _that _amazing. I just know how to calm you down. You're one of my closest friends, you know."

There was a silence for a moment as both boys weren't sure what to say, but didn't want to hang up just yet.

"Umm, Touya? Can I ask you something?" Kyouhei asked at length. Touya nodded, understanding the seriousness of his cousin's tone.

"What is it?"

"Well, umm…" Kyouhei hesitated, clearly worried about what kind of reaction he'd get. "It's, just, umm… well, what… whatwouldyoudoifIsaidIwasgay?"

Touya blinked. "What?"

"I'm…" Kyouhei struggled to spit it out. "Gay."

"Oh," Touya said. Kyouhei looked crestfallen.

"I'm sorry, Touya, I know you're under a lot of stress right now, and that you don't need me adding to it, but it's just that you're – "

"Kyouhei," Touya cut him off, "It's okay. I don't care, honestly. You're still my cousin, you're still my best friend, this doesn't change anything."

"Really?"

"Really."

Kyouhei looked relieved, but then grew nervous again. "There's… more."

"You met someone?"

Kyouhei looked up, startled. "How did you – "

"It's pretty much the only way there could be more."

Kyouhei blushed. "Oh, well, yeah, I guess."

"What's his name?"

Kyouhei looked around for a second, then leaned in closer to the screen. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but his name's Hugh."

"What about me?" said a new voice from beyond the view area of the Xtransceiver. Kyouhei jumped.

"Oh, hey Hugh, I was just talking to Touya," Kyouhei said. The view of the screen suddenly changed, centering on the face of who could only be Hugh. The boy had spiky blue hair that resembled a Quilfish and red eyes. Despite the serious facial expression, Touya could tell that the boy was every bit as excitable and outgoing as Kyouhei.

"Oh, so you're Touya. Kyouhei sure talks a lot about you. My name is Hugh," he said by means of introduction.

"So you're Kyouhei's boyfriend, huh? Nice to meet you," Touya said. Hugh flinched. "Did I say something wrong already?" Touya asked, concerned.

Hugh shook his head. "It's not your fault, it's just, well… Kyouhei and I aren't really out yet," he explained.

Touya nodded. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me." A sudden barking nearby reminded Touya that his Pokemon were still looking for him. "I have to go now, my Pokemon need me. Nice meeting you, Hugh!"

"My pleasure. Be sure to visit us in Aspertia sometime!"

With that, the two hung up. Touya stood, moving into more open view. Almost instantly, he was tackled by the relieved charges of his Pokemon. He laughed, pulling them into a hug. "It's alright, I'm okay now. We'll keep going as soon as we purchase some more supplies."

* * *

Cheren was waiting for him out on Route Four. "Touya, we've both got the Insect Badge now, so let's see who's stronger! Go, Liepard!"

Touya sighed. "So pushy like always. Alright, Roggs, you ready?"

Roggs chirped his affirmative, jumping into battle. "Alright Roggs, this isn't a particularly powerful opponent, so let's power up while we can. Iron Defense!"

"Don't let them get away with this! Fury Swipes, go!"

As Liepard charged forward, Roggs began to glow a metallic color, before fading, though the enhance in defense was obvious. Liepard's slashing claws found little hold on Roggs' powered up body, sliding off without doing much damage.

"Alright, now Roggs, use Rock Blast!"

"Use Sand Attack to defend yourself!"

Cheren's idea was genius. The wall created by the Sand Attack managed to deflect most of the oncoming rocks, with Liepard only taking minimal damage.

Touya wasn't particularly surprised that Cheren would come up with such a clever tactic. He was already improvising a way around it.

"Mud Slap!"

"Pursuit!"

Predictably, Mud Slap got to Liepard first, and the other Pokemon went sprawling.

"Do it again!"

"Sand Attack!"

As Touya had hoped, the Sand Attack went wide from the lowered accuracy of Liepard, and the second Mud Slap hit it head on. Liepard was stunned, leaving him wide open for Roggs' finishing Rock Blast.

Cheren scowled, recalling Liepard to his Pokeball. "Go, Servine!" he shouted, releasing the snake like Pokemon.

"Roggs, get back! Molly, you're up!"

Molly made quick work of Servine with lightning quick attacks, and flat out fried Panpour and Pidove. Cheren scowled, giving Touya his prize money. "Whatever… you just got lucky is all!" he said, storming off to Castellia to heal his Pokemon. Touya scowled at the other boy's poor sportsmanship before turning and heading off towards the new discoveries Route Four had in store for him.

* * *

**A/N: I bet you thought you were gonna hear from Touko, didn't you? Nope! Stay tuned for the next chapter to discover her fate! Also, I know you didn't really get to see much of it, but GreySkyShipping is now canon for this fanfic (if that's even a thing)!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I expect I will ever, own Pokémon, Homestuck, Code Geass, Soul Eater, Hellsing, Legend of Zelda, or pretty much anything else I'm a fan of.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Awaken, Victory Star!**

Touko rushed forward, scooping up the unconscious Dewott in her arms, and attempting to run for the door, when Raikou's Thunder blasted the doorframe, bringing down the stone walls, effectively sealing them in. Touko turned, facing Giovanni. Satisfied he had Touko cornered, he smirked.

"I have to admit, that Dewott of yours is pretty impressive for its speed. But alas, it's no use. You see, you were fated to lose this from the start, as I have the power of the Victory Star, the legendary Victini, to support me. But then, I doubt you would believe in its power, would you? The miserable fools who inhabit this world are pathetically unaware of the powers all around them. They arrogantly try to play god with their silly 'Pokéballs' and 'Trainer battles', when they can't even see the spirits that guard their own cities. Tell me, girl, have you heard the legend of Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion? Surely something like that must have survived the years. As you should well know, they truly believe humanity is a vile, revolting, self absorbed species. After years of seeing the world as it is now, and reflecting upon my experiences, I have come to the conclusion that they are right," he said. He stomped his cane upon the ground. "That is why I created this island! To kill humans, little by little. Poor fools thinking that they can just come in and 'prove' themselves 'worthy' of the power of Victini, all in vain. In time, I will have erased all humans but myself. Then, it will be my time to go as well, as I am of the corrupted species myself. But enough of this! Raikou, finish her off!"

Touko's eyes widened and she fell to her knees, trying to shield Dewott from Raikou's incoming blast.

"Now, Thunder!"

Touko closed her eyes, waiting for the end to come.

It never did.

Touko opened her eyes, confused as to why she wasn't dead yet, and saw Victini standing in front of her, breathing heavily. With anger in its eyes, Victini unleashed a deadly blast of Confusion, staggering both Raikou and Giovanni. Squeaking in rage, it then leapt into the air, before shooting a powerful Searing Shot at Raikou. The combined power of those two attacks, in addition to the injuries it had suffered at the hands of Dewott, was enough to send Raikou over the edge. It toppled over, unconscious. Giovanni stepped back, startled.

"Victini, what are you doing? How dare you betray me in this manner? I command you to stop that!" he said, his voice wavering with uncertainty. Victini elected to ignore him, instead allowing its head to become cloaked in flame, in a **V** pattern. Seconds later, the V – Create slammed right into Giovanni, killing him.

Touko gasped, rushing over to the man's side. To her surprise, the corpse was fading into nothingness, as though it had never been there.

"An… illusion?" Touko asked the room. It seemed almost unreal. That this whole time, the threat that had nearly killed her was nothing more than another of the island's tricks.

But yet, a part of it _had _been real. No illusion could create the amount of pain Dewott was in. The poor Pokémon had been ruthlessly beaten, and even with the ending of the illusion of Giovanni, the injuries had yet to fade. Touko knew they had to be real.

A timid tugging at her shirt reminded her that Victini was still there. "Oh, sorry," Touko apologized. "I'm sorry to cause you this trouble. I'll just, uh, I'll just be going now," she said, picking up Dewott and starting for the door when she remembered that it was still blocked by rubble.

Victini scrambled up to her, chittering eagerly. Suddenly, it was enveloped by a purple aura, as the doorframe was restored to its original condition through telekinesis. Touko looked down at Victini, surprised that the Pokémon had decided to aid her. Shrugging, she thanked it, walking out of the room.

Out on the island, Touko looked around, noticing that all the Plasma Grunts from earlier had faded – just like Giovanni and Raikou. She had to get off the island somehow. The boat was gone, and she had no medical supplies for Dewott with her. If she couldn't heal Dewott, she couldn't attempt to swim to land, as she had no one to protect her.

An explosion behind her caused her to jump, and she realized that the lighthouse had gone up in an inferno. Victini stood nearby, chattering angrily at the wreckage, glad to be rid of the lighthouse. Touko stared in shock.

* * *

Out in the Undella Bay, a team of Team Plasma Grunts prepared for a diving expedition to the Abyssal ruins.

The Grunts, equipped with diving gear and a team of water Pokémon, began their descent. Their mission, as Zinzolin had informed them, was to locate the Dark Stone and bring it to the Dragonspiral Tower to revive the legendary dragon. However, they had been warned, there were likely some dangerous traps guarding the ruins, similar to the many sinkholes and mazelike corridors of the Relic Castle. They would have to stay on guard.

Down they went, keeping an eye out for anything that looked even remotely like an entrance to a submerged castle. As no one in Unova had even seen the ruins in more than a hundred years, the crew had no idea what to expect. They swam on, past schools of Basculin and the odd Jellicent, their own Pokéballs at the ready in case anything decided that the crew looked like an ideal snack.

An hour passed in this manner, and still they had no idea where the entrance to the ruins was. Still, they didn't abandon their search yet, as their customized air tanks allowed them to stay underwater for a full week – provided they didn't get hungry. The leader of the group, a high ranking Grunt by the name of Gino, motioned for them to split into groups of two to search – himself and Anya, Jeremiah and Marianne, and Schneizel and Cornelia. Motioning to meet back in a half hour at this spot, he began swimming away, prompting Anya to follow.

As they swam, Gino kept his eyes out for any signs of ruin, aware that the time the castle had spent underwater could very well have hidden old entrances and created new ones. There was simply no telling what to expect.

He felt Anya tugging at his arms suddenly, and he looked to see what she was attempting to get his attention for. To his surprise, the other four members of the expedition were swimming to catch up with him, Cornelia in the lead. She stopped in front of him, motioned for himself and Anya to follow, and swam off in the direction she had come from.

When they arrived at the location Cornelia had wanted to show them, a massive dropoff faded into pitch blackness about halfway down. However, four massive spires spiraled up from the depths, with architecture similar to the style seen at the Relic Castle. Gino turned to the crew, who stared at him expectantly. He nodded, activating his flood lamp and swimming into the maw of the submerged chasm.

By the time they reached the bottom, nearly a half hour had passed trying to reach it. Bits of columns and staircases from the ruins lay strewn around, and a set of steps led up into the ruins themselves. Steeling his nerves, Gino led the way into the darkness of the Abyssal Ruins, the first to do so in a hundred years.

* * *

Two hours of thinking had yielded Touko nothing. She was still in her same predicament, with Dewott's condition getting worse all the while.

A helicopter's blades had caught her attention, and she looked up to see a figure waving from inside the cockpit, trying to get her attention. "Hey!" the figure called through a megaphone. "We saw the explosion! Are you alright? We're going to land! Sit tight!"

A few minutes later, the helicopter had touched down and the pilot and megaphone figure came out to greet her. The pilot was a short woman, with dark green hair, to the point the green was difficult to see, and indigo eyes covered by glasses. The figure with the megaphone was also a female, who had light pink hair and violet eyes.

"Hey," the pink haired girl said, obviously not sure what to say. "Umm… I'm Euphemia and this is Nina. Are you alright?"

Touko shook her head. "Dewott," she said simply.

Euphemia saw the Pokémon in Touko's arms, and ran back to the helicopter to fetch a first aid kit, giving Dewott the best medical treatment she could with her limited supplies.

"Your Dewott's alright for now, but we need to get him to a Pokémon center," Euphemia said. "What were you doing to hurt him this much, anyways?"

Touko looked down. "It's… a long story. I'll talk about it on the way."

Euphemia nodded. "Alright. Let's get going. Nina, where's the closest place for us to get medical attention?"

Nina pulled out her Town Map, using it's built in GPS features to figure out where they were. "Striaton City," she said at last. "Ashford Academy."

Euphemia nodded. "Then come on, we need to get going."

On the helicopter, Touko explained everything to the best of her abilities – receiving the odd ticket, the boat ride, Team Plasma, Victini, and Giovanni. Euphemia was outright shocked by a lot of what she said, but seemed to believe her. Touko hesitated when she told Euphemia about the battle between Raikou and Dewott, as images of Dewott being hit full force still haunted her mind, but she managed to convey the major points.

At long last they touched down at the Ashford campus in Striaton City. With Nina's guidance, the three quickly made it to the hospital wing, where Dewott was immediately placed in critical care. Touko watched from an observation window, growing anxious with worry, when she felt a familiar tug at her shirt. She looked down, surprised that Victini had followed her all this way without her knowing. She smiled sadly, stroking its head a bit, before the Victory Star climbed up into her lap and did it's best to embrace her with its small arms. Touko hugged the Pokémon back, grateful that at least somebody was here for her in her moment of need.

* * *

The crew had barely made it into the ruins when they heard a faint click sound resonate from deep within. Gino frowned, unsure of what it signified, but pressed on. The ruins were surprisingly light inside, with odd glowing stones giving illumination every few "steps" or so. Before long, they came to a fork in the ruins, both passages unmarked. Gino frowned, looked at the left passage, then the right passage, before deciding to split the group again, taking Anya and Jeremiah with him down the right passage while the others followed the left passage.

The walls of the ruins, Gino noted, were covered in an ancient script, though what language, he didn't know. Whatever the case, Gino doubted it was relevant. The Dark Stone would likely be pretty obvious when they found it, as surely a legendary artifact would be well protected and rather clearly displayed.

_Click_

Gino frowned. There was that sound again. But what did it mean? Anya had heard it too, but was clearly unconcerned. Gino didn't know how she did it. Nothing really fazed that woman. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was simply unreadable. Gino wasn't even sure he'd heard it.

They checked several rooms, finding odd Relic Coppers and the like, but no clues as to the location of the Dark Stone. They took what artifacts they could carry to pay for the expedition, and pushed forwards.

_Click_

At last they came across a long room with a dilapidated throne at one end, and a great pedestal in the center. On the pedestal rested a great black stone, marked with three gentle grooves spaced evenly.

The Dark Stone.

Gino moved forward quickly, picking up the Dark Stone, and began swimming back towards the other two.

_**CLICK**_

Gino froze, realizing the click had come from behind the throne. The throne was suddenly tossed aside as a swirling vortex shot out towards the three Plasma Grunts. The trio was tossed around like ragdolls in the current, Gino letting go of the Dark Stone in the process. Gino's eyes widened, and though he swam frantically to recover the stone, it was swept away into the current.

As the current continued to slam Gino towards the exit, he felt his arm being pulled, and before long Jeremiah had pulled him out of the vortex into an adjacent passage. Gino prepared to go back for Anya when the current slammed several pieces of debris into the opening Gino was about to come out of, sealing it in the process. Gino cursed, shoving at the debris, but to no avail. Finally, he turned from the sealed exit, and followed Jeremiah deeper into the castle. They'd have to find another way out.

* * *

Touya at last gained refuge from the harsh sandstorms of Route Four and the Desert Resort in the Relic Castle. With relief, he was able to release Lily and Molly, whom he had recalled to protect them from the brutal conditions of the sandstorm. Roggs, being a rock type, managed the sandstorm far better, and had thus stayed out to deal with any wild Pokémon they encountered. At last, though, Touya and his team enjoyed a brief respite from the storm, though they were unable to escape the sweltering heat.

"Umm… hey… excuse me, sir?" A voice caught Touya's attention, and he looked up to see a girl of about his age standing nervously.

"Oh, hey," he said, extending his hand in greeting. "I'm Touya. Do you need something?"

"Umm, well, I uh, I found these fossils not too long ago, and, well, I took them to the Museum in Nacrene. And, uh, they did… something… to turn them back into Pokémon. And, well, I'm not prepared to care for both them, so… would you take one? Please?"

Touya nodded. He'd taken in Molly already, so he saw no problem taking in another Pokémon in need. "Yeah, no problem," he said.

The girl smiled, and reached into her bag for a Pokéball, handing it over to Touya. "This is a Tirtouga. I haven't named him yet, so feel free to nickname him as you see fit. Uh, I need to go," she said, turning and running out of the ruins.

Touya shrugged, releasing the Tirtouga. The Pokémon let out a cry, struggling to move on land. Touya frowned, thinking. He had yet to keep a Pokémon in a Pokéball and he was not going to start now. Getting an idea, he whistled to Lily, who trotted over and sniffed at the newcomer curiously.

"Lily, this is our new companion. He's not very good on land, so can you please carry him around for us?"

The Herdier hesitated, considering for a moment before barking and trying to wriggle under the Tirtouga, who responded with frantic movements in an effort to escape. Touya chuckled, picking up the Tirtouga and placing it on Lily's back. Tirtouga stopped his struggling at that point, looking down to see that he was indeed atop the Herdier's back, and that she was running around much faster than he could on his own. Murmuring softly, he resigned himself to the situation.

Touya smiled. He didn't even have a name for the Tirtouga yet, but he could already see the beginning of a beautiful friendship between him and Lily… and perhaps something more? He shook his head, laughing at the thought. Tirtouga and Lily? Not even Mei would anticipate such a pairing.

* * *

**A/N: What should Tirtouga's nickname be? You guys tell me!**

**I'm so happy to finally introduce some Team Plasma Grunts with names, it gives me some more versatility with this story. Not to mention, Code Geass fans will recognize all the Grunts mentioned in this chapter, plus Euphie and Nina, who, I assure you, will have a greater role than just what they did this chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Pokémon and Code Geass are properties of their respective orders (hint: not me)/**

**A/N: I've been forgetting to mention this for a while, but I do have a Tumblr if anyone wants to follow me. It's not much in the way of an official blog, but I do post updates on my progress periodically if anyone's interested. You can find me at ethanthedarkrainbow if you're interested.**

**Also, this chapter is going to focus more on the less protagonistic characters, and believe it or not, neither Touya nor N are going to have any narrative in this chapter. Have fun!**

**Reply to Eeze: You read my mind; I was actually starting to think about that weakness, though my plan of action will take a while to fulfill. No worries, though, I'm on the case!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Recovery, Exile, and Dragons**

The current forced Anya out of the ruins at long last, depositing her on the seafloor once again. After being forced out the first time, she had continued to reenter the ruins in an attempt to find Gino, Jeremiah, and the Dark Stone again. Cornelia, Schneizel, and Marianne had all tried to get her to give up, but she refused. She had her mission and her teammates were still trapped inside. While she may not have been the most emotional of people, she still had her loyalties. She couldn't live with herself if she had lost Gino and Jeremiah.

A soft thump nearby caught her attention, and she found that the Dark Stone had been ejected from the ruins in her latest attempt to enter. Cornelia turned her to look her in the eyes, and Anya understood her meaning. Though it was a horrible loss that Gino and Jeremiah were missing, the rest of the team would have to finish the mission and return with the Dark Stone. Nodding, Anya motioned for Schneizel to pick up the Dark Stone, and the four began their ascent to the surface. Though Anya wasn't emotional, she felt a strange emptiness inside as she left Gino and Jeremiah to their watery grave.

* * *

The door slid open suddenly, rousing Touko from her slumber. She jumped up, embarrassed to realize that she had fallen asleep due to sheer exhaustion watching over Dewott.

Victini had left sometime in her rest, no doubt on a mission to find its way back to its island. Touko couldn't blame the poor Pokémon. She was hardly qualified to protect it if she couldn't even defend her own Pokémon adequately.

"Touko?" Nina asked, entering with a worried look on her face. "You've been in here for days. Please, you need some rest. Dewott isn't going to recover any faster if you sit here. Please, Touko, this isn't healthy for you."

Touko shook her head. "I can't leave his side," she said. "I got him into this wreck, and I'm going to stay with him until he's out of it."

Euphie shook her head. "Touko, please. Your heart's in the right place but you need rest. Dewott needs to wake up to someone strong and capable. Not… not someone who can barely keep their eyes open."

"But what if he wakes up?"

"Then I come and wake you when he does. Please, Touko, come get some rest. Mr. Ashford is offering to let you stay in the student council room while you wait for Dewott to recover. Nina can take you there."

Touko hesitated for a minute. Though it was true that she needed rest, she also needed to be by Dewott's side. Finally, she gave in, acknowledging that the other women wouldn't rest until she was in a bed.

"Alright," she said. "I suppose I could use some sleep."

* * *

After what felt like days of swimming, Gino and Jeremiah finally found a spot where they could surface. Pulling themselves out of the water, they collapsed onto the dry tiles, removing their masks.

"Phew… I was… beginning… to wonder… if we'd… ever… find land," Gino managed between gasps. The swim had taken more than its share out of the youth, and he was on the verge of collapsing.

Jeremiah, on the other hand, being older and more fit, still had plenty of energy. "We aren't out of this yet, Gino," he said.

"Huh?"

"Look around. There isn't any way for us to get out of here. We may be out of the water, but we aren't out of trouble yet."

Gino forced himself to look around. The area was dry, meaning that it probably poked out of the ocean somewhere, but as Jeremiah had said, there wasn't an exit. The room itself consisted of the deep pool from which they had emerged, which covered more than half the room. Stairs descended back down into the depths, breaking off after about five feet. The only other exit to the room was the flight of ascending stairs connected to the other stairs by a short walkway. It was likely that when the ruins had been functional, this room had been part of a stairwell to reach the top of a tower of some sort. If the ruins here had endured about as well as the rest of the ruins, then they should be able to climb the tower and signal for rescue.

If this was a tower of some sorts.

Gino shook the thought from his mind. Now was not the time for dark thoughts. "Jeremiah, I need to rest. I'm not as fit as you are. I'm beat."

Jeremiah nodded. "I will keep watch, then. It may be that we are not the only ones in here."

* * *

Nina led Touko into the bedroom in the Student Council building, which looked as though it hadn't been used in a while. There were signs of use still around, though, including a photo album of last year's Student Council and a case left open on the desk. Visible inside was a dark purple suit that looked like a jumpsuit had gone through a time machine and ended up in the Victorian era, and a spiky black helmet with an indigo visor.

"Here we are. You're free to stay as long as you need to," Nina said. "The Ashford family maid keeps the place tidy, so there shouldn't be much of an issue. You'll have to eat in the cafeteria with the students, unfortunately, but I can probably round up a few people I know to stay close to you to ward off anyone who'd try to bother you."

Touko nodded. "Thank you. And, um, sorry to be such a bother. I'll be out of here as soon as Dewott's ready."

Nina shook her head. "Don't worry, you aren't imposing on anyone. You know, a friend of mine used to attend school here. This was his room. He couldn't really use the dorms, because his sister was confined to a wheelchair, so he stayed here instead. That's his suit over on the desk. He was going to wear it during his travels once he started his Trainer journey. 'Zero', he wanted to call himself. How silly is that?"

Touko smiled. "What happened?"

Nina shook her head. "He had to leave all of a sudden. I'm not sure why, but rumor has it he was chasing a loved one he'd messed up with. Whatever the case, he forgot to take it with him."

Touko nodded. "Well, thank you Nina. Um… I'd kinda like to get some shuteye for now, so I can get back to Dewott as soon as I can, so…"

"I understand. I'll leave."

"Nina?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For distracting me, if only for a moment."

* * *

Jeremiah decided, knowing full well that the area Gino was sleeping in was safe, to examine the next floor up. Always, it paid off to be prepared, and knowing one's environment was a key part of that.

The next floor up was clearly some sort of auditorium or possibly a throne room. The room had largely collapsed, with piles of dust and fallen pillars strewn about. However, most of the pillars had fallen in such a manner that they seemed easily climbable. Still, it would be unwise to venture too far into the room whilst Gino was still vulnerable. Jeremiah contented himself with standing watch near the top of the stairs whilst he observed the room.

After a few hours Gino came up to join him. "Your turn," he said. "Go get some sleep. I'll keep guard."

Jeremiah nodded, acknowledging that as strong as he was, he needed rest as well. He returned to the spot where the two had come from the water and let himself sleep.

* * *

Anya entered the throne room of the Plasma Castle followed by the other three members of her team, Cornelia and Marianne flanking Schneizel, who carried the Dark Stone. The team crossed the great hall that fit nearly the entire organization of Team Plasma inside, stopping at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne, which stood empty. To the side, Ghetsis stood ready to receive them.

"Sage Ghetsis, we have retrieved the Dark Stone from its resting place within the Abyssal Ruins," Anya said softly, simply. Ghetsis smirked in satisfaction.

"Excellent. Tell me now, where are the artifacts you recovered to pay for the expedition?"

"Unfortunately, the bag containing the artifacts was lost when we lost Sir Gino Weinberg and Sir Jeremiah Gottwald in an unexpected torrent of water."

Ghetsis narrowed his eyes. "This… is a shame. This expedition took an extensive toll on Team Plasma's resources. While we were successful in this endeavor, I – we will experience difficulty in launching future operations as a result. I am disappointed. You were selected because you have all been appointed as knights of Team Plasma. As such, you were expected to perform your mission to the letter. This failure is unacceptable. Henceforth, I strip you all of your knighthood. Anya, as you were the leader of this team I also banish you from Team Plasma. We cannot tolerate such inability among the high ranking members of my – our fair organization."

"WHAT?" Cornelia shouted, trembling with anger. "Were it not for Anya, we wouldn't have so much as found the Dark Stone. You cannot do this."

"SILENCE!" Ghetsis roared, anger burning in his eyes. "Do you wish to join Anya in exile?"

Cornelia trembled visibly with anger but said no more.

"Now then," Ghetsis continued calmly. "That should conclude this display. Schneizel, the Dark Stone."

Schneizel stepped forward, offering Ghetsis the Stone. Ghetsis took the Stone, entrusting it to one of his knights, before dismissing all those assembled. As Anya left the Castle she reflected on her newfound exile. Technically speaking, Ghetsis had no authority to banish her from Unova, but without Team Plasma she felt directionless. Liberation had been her goal for as long as she could remember, and now, not only had she lost Gino and Jeremiah, but she had lost her place in the world as well. As if he could read his master's emotions, her Pawniard broke free of his Pokéball, attempting to console her.

Anya did not feel much emotion. She never had, and now, more than ever, she felt like an empty shell.

* * *

Sometime early the next morning Touko was awoken by a knocking at the door. With stiff limbs she quickly rose and dressed herself before opening the door to meet emerald eyes and curly brown hair.

"Hey there," greeted the boy. "My name's Suzaku. Euphie called me and asked me to look after you around the place. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh… I'm Touko… nice to meet you too." Touko said, still half asleep.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I woke you up, didn't I? I'm sorry, I'll let you go back to sleep," Suzaku said, red faced, before turning to leave.

"No, wait!" Touko said, doing her best to sound awake. "I mean… just wait here for a minute. I need to get changed into something more comfortable, and then we can eat breakfast."

"Oh, no problem," Suzaku half laughed, still feeling embarrassed.

* * *

A few minutes later Touko was changed and ready to go eat. As the two walked to the cafeteria for breakfast, Suzaku attempted to start some conversation.

"So… Touko, where are you from?"

"I'm from Numeva town. I don't think you've heard of it, it's about two day's walk from here."

"Really? What's it like?"

"Okay enough, I guess. I mean, it's pretty small, and there aren't many people my age there. But it's cozy, and the people are all nice."

"Really? What happened to your friends then? I thought they would've stuck with you."

"We split up. I guess we wanted to be able to see the world at our own pace. I'm okay with it, though, because we still have a tendency to run into each other on the road."

"That's cool. Oh, here we are," Suzaku said, opening the door to let Touko in first.

After they had gotten food and sat down to eat (Suzaku had paid, despite Touko's protests), they were joined by a brunette with light green eyes.

"Oh hey Shirley," Suzaku greeted. "I forgot you still had school for another year. Shirley, this is Touko. Touko, this is Shirley. She's an old friend of mine."

"Hi Touko, it's nice to meet you!" Shirley said, extending her hand in greeting. Touko shook her hand slowly, beginning to feel a touch overwhelmed by all the commotion.

"So Touko, what brings you to Ashford Academy?" Shirley asked. Suzaku shook his head.

"Not now, Shirley. Anyways, how've classes been?"

Shirley grinned. "Everything's so easy this year! I don't know if it's just the courses are easier or if I'm getting smarter, but it's so easy now! I can't for the life of me understand why Lulu couldn't keep up in class!"

Suzaku smiled. "That's because Lelouch is too lazy to apply himself."

Shirley nodded. "Oh yeah, speaking of which, where is he? I would've thought he would've come back with you."

Suzaku shifted uncomfortably. "Well… Lelouch wanted to keep exploring and seeing the world more. I think he's getting ready to travel to Hoenn soon. But it's okay, a little space can be a good thing sometimes. I don't mind much."

"But you two just got together!"

This caught Touko's attention. "Wait, what?" she asked.

Suzaku turned red. "Erm, well, yeah, I mean, I wasn't going to tell you, but yeah. I'm dating a guy."

"Oh. That's cool. Is he hot?"

Suzaku blushed even harder, burying his face in his arms. Shirley laughed.

"Lulu's really attractive. I used to have a crush on him myself, but some things just aren't meant to be, I guess. Still, he was one of the most attractive guys in school when he attended, if you'll believe that."

Touko smiled, despite her worries for Dewott. She had a feeling that things were going to work out.

* * *

Gino was about to doze off when something started nudging at his leg. He looked down to see a small blue dragon with a red head trying to get his attention. Realizing that it had his attention, it proceeded to deposit a small sample of berries at his feet before scampering back to the safety of a larger variant of itself, likely a mother. Seeing the full sized variant of the dragon Pokémon, Gino realized he must be looking at a mother Druddigon and her child.

Druddigon were not unheard of in Unova, but they were extremely rare, and so it was the first time Gino had ever seen one in person. Looking around, he realized that other Druddigon were sleeping in little nooks and crevices, or playing off in some of the further corners of the hall. There were at least ten mother figures that were watching him, waiting for him to do something hostile towards their children.

Gino knelt down, picking up one of the berries while making careful eye contact with the mother of the Druddigon who had given him the berries. She made no move to attack him, and so he raised the berry to his lips, watching for a reaction all the while. Still, there was no response, and so he slowly put the berry in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. The Druddigon watched him all the while, but made no move to stop him.

Finally, Gino sat down cross legged, motioning for the Druddigon and her child to come share the berries. The two approached, the child more eagerly than the mother, and proceeded to share the berries with him, though they remained insistent he eat the majority.

Finally, Gino extended his hand slowly, palm down, as one would to let a dog smell their hand. The Druddigon reacted in a similar manner, sniffing at his hand and learning his scent. Somehow, Gino understood that he had just been accepted into a family of Dragon Pokémon.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, this kinda tried to develop the relationships and dynamics of some of the other characters some more, and we got to meet Suzaku again. I hope this wasn't too much of a letdown to those hoping to hear from N, but I assure you we'll get back to him soon. On a separate note, I want to thank everybody who stuck with this fic from the beginning again, because it was your faith that kept me going this far. And if you've only recently come onboard, I want to thank you too, because you guys have also helped me realize that this is a growing fic in more ways than one, and that really inspired me to try to satisfy everybody. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank everybody who is legitimately supportive of this fic, because I couldn't bring myself to write this without all of your support.**

**Lastly, just a reminder that I'm still taking suggestions for Tirtouga's nickname if anyone else is interested in suggesting something! And if someone's already suggested something, suggest it again, so I know which one is the most popular. And with that, my rainbows, I will see you in the next update!**


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